Death Toll from Heavy Rain in Japan Rises to 89

July 9, 2018

Tokyo- The death toll from the recent torrential rain mainly in western Japan has reached 89 in 11 prefectures, local authorities and other sources said Monday.

The number is expected to increase further because many people are still unaccounted for. Police officers, firefighters and Self-Defense Forces troops are continuing their search and rescue operations.

According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, evacuation orders or advisories were issued to some 3.86 million people from 1.74 million households in 17 of Japan's 47 prefectures as of 5 a.m. Monday (8 p.m. Sunday GMT).

About 23,000 people were staying at evacuation centers in 15 prefectures as of 9 p.m. Sunday. Water supply was disrupted at 267,500 households as of 8 p.m. Sunday, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.

By prefecture, the number of deaths, caused by landslides and other disasters resulting from the heavy rain, stood at 40 in Hiroshima, 22 in Ehime, 11 in Okayama, four in Kyoto and three in Yamaguchi, all in western Japan. Deaths were also confirmed in the western prefectures of Shiga, Hyogo, Kochi, Fukuoka and Kagoshima, and the central prefecture of Gifu.

On Monday morning, the Japanese government held the second meeting of an emergency task force set up in response to the downpour.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe instructed the establishment of a team comprising vice minister-level officials from relevant government ministries and agencies to provide support to affected people promptly.

He also said that the number of SDF troops, police officers, firefighters and others engaged in the search and rescue operations has been increased to 73,000.

The new team, to be headed by Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiro Sugita, will take measures to improve the environment at shelters, such as the installation of air conditioners, and supply relief goods to afflicted people.

"The government will provide necessary financial support so that local authorities can work on reconstruction programs without worry," Abe said, apparently suggesting the need to designate the torrential rain as a disaster with extreme severity. The designation would make affected areas eligible for greater financial aid for reconstruction.

At the Okayama prefectural government office in the city of Okayama, a fact-finding mission from the central government, led by disaster management minister Hachiro Okonogi, met with Okayama Governor Ryuta Ibaragi and other officials on Monday.

The local officials requested the state in writing to decide on the designation of the heavy rain as an extremely severe disaster early and support affected residents.

Okonogi sounded positive on accepting the requested designation.

Meanwhile, the seasonal rain front that brought the heavy rain to the western Japan regions moved north toward the Sea of Japan on Monday.

Although the special heavy rain warnings issued to 11 prefectures had been lifted by Sunday afternoon, the Japan Meteorological Agency on Monday called on people in affected areas to stay on full alert.

The agency said this year's rainy season is believed to have ended in the northern part of the Kyushu region, and the Chugoku, Kinki, Tokai and Hokuriku regions, all affected by the downpour.

The land ministry said that it has received 238 reports of landslides from 28 prefectures. At least 15 people were killed by landslides, the ministry said. Jiji Press