Tokyo: At least 60 people died and scores are missing as torrential rains in parts of Japan unleashed flooding and landslides.
Heavy downpour continues to hammer certain areas of the South Asian country for a third day on Sunday.
“We’ve never experienced this kind of rain before. This is a situation of extreme danger,” Afghan’s TOLO News quoted an official at the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA), as saying while addressing a news conference.
About 48,000 emergency responders from the police, fire department and defense forces are participating in the search-and-rescue operations, as per media reports.
“There are still many people missing and others in need of help, we are working against time,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.
Residents are being evacuated from areas of stricken Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, in south-western Japan.
The Japan Meteorological Agency sent a high-level alert in large areas of western Japan, while it has lifted the warning in other regions.
According to the report evacuation orders remained in place for some 2 million people and another 2.3 million were advised to evacuate. (ANI)