TOKYO – Six people have died in the flooding and landslides that struck central Japan over the past two days, local media reported on Monday, citing authorities.
The NHK television network confirmed the six fatalities, while a rescue official mentioned to another media outlet that there was “one confirmed death and five individuals in cardiac arrest” following torrential rains in Ishikawa Prefecture, which had already been severely affected by an earthquake on January 1.
The term “cardiac arrest” is used in Japan to refer to individuals who have died but whose death has not yet been officially confirmed by a doctor.
According to local authorities cited by NHK, two workers who were repairing a road damaged by the earthquake were found dead after a landslide, while their colleagues managed to take shelter in a tunnel.
In Wajima, a coastal city in Ishikawa Prefecture, a flooded home was reported, and the body of a man was recovered from a river. In Suzu, another city in the region, a person was discovered under the debris of a house. Besides, two individuals are still reported missing.
Local authorities in Ishikawa Prefecture, located on the Sea of Japan coast, issued evacuation orders to around 110,000 people, while the JMA declared a maximum emergency alert for the region.
In addition to flooded buildings, numerous landslides blocked roads, leaving approximately 6,200 households without electricity and at least 1,700 without running water.
Accordingly, the military has been mobilised to assist throughout the rural region along the Sea of Japan.
Throughout the weekend, dozens of muddy rivers overflowed, causing extensive damage in areas already affected by the January earthquake, which killed at least 374 people. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported “unprecedented torrential rains,” with over 540 mm recorded between Saturday and Sunday in Wajima, marking the highest continuous rainfall since records began in 1976.
