Japan braces for more rain; death toll 37 and many more still missing

TOKYO: Japan is bracing for more heavy rain after a weekend of flooding left at least 37 people dead, with 13 others reported missing in the island of Kyushu, officials said on Monday. The prefectures of Kumamoto and Kagoshima have been worst hit, with hundreds of thousands of people advised to evacuate, reports the BBC. More than 40,000 rescue workers in the south-west were still searching for survivors on Monday, after record rains caused landslides and rivers to burst their banks on Saturday. Another 30 cm of rain is expected in the next two days.

According to the the BBC report, while it is normal for Western Japan to bear the brunt of the rains sweeping out from the tropics during monsoon season, the last two days have seen truly extraordinary amounts of rain falling over the island of Kyushu. (IANS)

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