At least 16 people have died and the death toll is expected to rise to around 20 in Japan, where torrential rain has caused flooding and landslides, Japanese media reported on Sunday.
Read also: Japan: mass evacuations, 13 missing after torrential rains
Floods in the southwestern region of Kumamoto, on the island of Kyushu, have destroyed homes, washed away vehicles and caused bridges to collapse, leaving many cities in the water and some residents cut off of the world. In addition to the 16 people who died, the public broadcaster NHK reported about 20 people on " cardiopulmonary arrest ", a term generally used in Japan to announce the death of a person, before he is confirmed by doctors. Among them are 14 residents of a retirement home that was flooded this Saturday by a nearby river that has emerged from its bed.
Officials in the region and the municipalities affected by the natural disaster were unable to confirm the deaths reported by the media on Sunday morning.
A dozen people are also missing as a result of these bad weather, while more than 200,000 people have been ordered to evacuate. " We will do everything we can to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and make life as comfortable as possible for those who have been forced to leave their homes, " Ryota Takeda, the minister for disaster management, told reporters. be returned to a gymnasium in the city of Hitoyoshi where 600 inhabitants are accommodated.
By Sunday morning, rainfall had dropped in intensity in Kumamoto but many people in the region remained cut off from the world due to the extensive damage caused by these bad weather.
Rescue teams and soldiers from the Self-Defense Forces have deployed helicopters and boats to find missing persons and come to the aid of residents stranded in their homes. Sunday evening, further precipitation is expected in the region. A huge “SOS” sign was created on the grounds of a disused elementary school in the city of Yatsushiro, where a dozen people were making big signs towards the media and rescue helicopters, using white towels and umbrellas.
