Two feared dead, 13 missing as heavy rain lashes western JapanReports said 75,000 residents were ordered to evacuate their homes, with nearly 100 people strandedTOKYO - At least two people were feared dead and 13 others went missing in western Japan Saturday as record heavy rain triggered massive floods and landslides, forcing authorities to issue evacuation orders for more than 76,000 residents. Public broadcaster NHK said about 100 people had been stranded as roads were cut off by floods and landslides. "We have issued evacuation orders after record heavy rain," said Toshiaki Mizukami, another official for Kumamoto prefecture. "We strongly urge people to take action to protect their lives as it's still raining quite heavily," he told AFP. Japan is currently in its rainy season, which often causes floods and landslides and prompts local authorities to issue evacuation orders.

Source: Bangkok Post July 04, 2020 05:26 UTC