Six people are missing due to severe flooding caused by heavy rains.

Torrential Rain Causes Flooding and Mudslides in Southwest Japan

Torrential rain has been pounding southwestern Japan, unleashing floods and mudslides that have resulted in two fatalities and left at least six people missing, according to officials on Monday.

The regions of Kyushu and Chugoku have been experiencing heavy rainfall since the weekend, leading to flooding along numerous rivers, mudslides, road closures, train disruptions, and water supply interruptions in some areas.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued an emergency heavy rain warning for Fukuoka and Oita prefectures on the southern main island of Kyushu, urging residents in riverside and hillside areas to exercise maximum caution. Over 1.7 million residents in vulnerable areas were advised to seek shelter. The emergency warning was later downgraded to a regular warning on Monday.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is set to attend a NATO summit in Lithuania on July 11-12, stated that he will make a final decision on whether to proceed after assessing the extent of the damage on Tuesday morning.

“Regardless of the decision, our top priority is to prioritize the safety and well-being of our people in responding to this disaster,” he emphasized.

According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and prefectural officials, two individuals have lost their lives, while at least six others remain missing.

In Yamaguchi prefecture, a man was discovered deceased in a vehicle that had fallen into a swollen river. In Fukuoka prefecture’s Soeda town, two individuals were buried by a mudslide. One person was rescued, but unfortunately, the other did not survive, as reported by local officials.

In Kurume, also located in Fukuoka, a mudslide impacted seven houses, trapping 21 people. Six individuals managed to escape on their own, while rescue workers successfully extracted nine individuals alive. Efforts are ongoing to rescue five others, with one person still unaccounted for, according to the disaster agency.

As a safety precaution, Toyota Motor Corp. suspended night-time production at three Fukuoka factories on Monday, with normal operations expected to resume on Tuesday.

In Saga prefecture’s city of Karatsu, rescue teams are currently searching for three residents whose houses were struck by a mudslide, as reported by the agency. NHK public television aired footage showing one of the destroyed houses reduced to just a roof sitting on heavy rains.”>muddy ground amidst flowing floodwaters

Additionally, at least three other individuals are reported missing in other parts of the region.

NHK also broadcasted images of the swollen Yamakuni River overflowing a bridge in Oita prefecture’s Yabakei town.

The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.

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