One dead, seven missing after floods in Japan

Death toll after severe weather in Japan. One person died and at least seven others are missing in Ishikawa Prefecture, where Japanese authorities ordered the evacuation of more than 60,000 residents on Saturday, September 21. Flooding has been confirmed on a dozen rivers in the region, said Masaru Kojima of the Ministry of Territories.

Three of them overflowed and floodwaters reached nearby towns, an official told AFP, adding that damage to buildings and infrastructure was being assessed. According to the Ishikawa government, many buildings were flooded and landslides blocked some roads. Some 6,000 homes were without power.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has placed Ishikawa Prefecture on high alert, warning of potential hazards “mortals”. Forecaster Satoshi Sugimoto reported “torrential rains of unprecedented magnitude”with more than 120 millimeters of rainfall per hour recorded in Wajima. The city, along with Suzu, was among the hardest hit by the 7.5-magnitude earthquake on January 1, which killed at least 236 people. The region is still recovering from the disaster, which flattened buildings, ravaged roads and caused a major fire.