At least 60 killed and 2 million evacuated in Japan floods 2018

[Meatpie]

Flooding and landslides have killed at least 60 people and left dozens missing in western areas of Japan.

Most of the deaths have occurred in Hiroshima prefecture, which has been hit by torrential rain since Thursday. Hundreds of homes have been damaged.

About 2 million people have been ordered to leave their homes and three million more advised to do so.

Thousands of police, firefighters and soldiers are taking part in search-and-rescue operations.



Some of the victims have been buried alive by landslides, Japan's Kyodo news agency reports.

In the town of Motoyama, about 600km (370 miles) west of the capital Tokyo, 583mm (23in) of rain fell between Friday morning and Saturday morning, Japan's meteorological agency said.

More rain is expected over the next few days some say up to 500 litres per square metre which is unheard of and extremely rare event anywhere on Earth.

 

[Meatpie]

More rain expected in Japan

Meteorologists in Japan say the country has never experienced so much rain and since Thursday parts of western Japan have received three times the usual rainfall for the whole of July, setting off floods and landslides.

Most of the deaths have occurred in Hiroshima prefecture.

In the town of Motoyama, on Shikoku island, 583mm (23in) of rain fell between Friday morning and Saturday morning.

 

[Meatpie]

Rescue effort continues as devastating rainfalls leave more than 100 dead

At least 110 people have died or are presumed dead, with more than 60 still unaccounted for, most of them in the hardest-hit Hiroshima area.