One dead, several missing after ‘unprecedented’ rains in Japan’s Ishikawa region

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Heavy rains in Japan’s coastal Ishikawa area have caused floods and landslides, with one confirmed death and seven more reported missing.

After a deadly earthquake on New Year’s Day, the area is still recovering from what officials are calling “unprecedented” rains.

With the heavy rain expected to last until Sunday midday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued its highest-level “life-threatening” advisory for Ishikawa on Saturday.

At least a dozen rivers in the area have overflowed, forcing more than 40,000 residents in four cities to evacuate.

According to Japan’s official broadcaster NHK, two persons who were apparently carried away by powerful river currents are among the missing. Furthermore, there are four unaccounted-for workmen who are fixing roads damaged in the January earthquake.

One of the worst-hit cities, Wajima, saw the most rainfall ever recorded, with almost 120mm (4.7 inches) falling there. In images shown on NHK, streets in Wajima were shown entirely underwater.

The seriousness of the situation was highlighted by JMA forecaster Sugimoto Satoshi, who said, “This level of downpours has never been experienced in this region before.” Residents must secure their safety immediately. The risk to their lives is imminent.”

A landslip in Wajima destroyed a road that sixty workmen were rebuilding, according to local government official Koji Yamamoto.

He told AFP, “I asked [contractors] to check the safety of workers… but we are still unable to contact four people.” He also said that other landslides were preventing rescue teams from getting to the scene.

Widespread power outages brought on by the storms have left some 6,000 homes without electricity and an undetermined number without running water.

There have been two reports of significant injuries, and 44,000 residents of Ishikawa have been placed under evacuation orders. Another 16,000 residents in the nearby prefectures of Niigata and Yamagata have also been warned to leave.

A 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck the area on the Noto Peninsula of Honshu island on New Year’s Day also caused significant damage and left 236 people dead.

There was substantial damage from the earthquake, including collapsed buildings and demolished infrastructure. As the unusual rains arrived, relief activities from the earthquake were still in progress.

In recent years, Japan has seen an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events, such as landslides and floods, which can occasionally cause fatalities.

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