TOKYO – Deep floods and the risk of further landslides that left at least 34 people confirmed or presumed dead hampered search and rescue operations in southern Japan Sunday, including at facilities for the elderly.
Helicopters and boats rescued more people from their homes in the Kumamoto region. More than 40,000 defense troops, the coast guard, and fire brigades participated in the operation.
Large areas along the Kuma River were swallowed up by the floods, with many houses, buildings, and vehicles submerged almost to their roofs. The mudslides crashed into the houses, sending people from the top of the rooftops greeting the rescuers.
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At a flooded nursing home in Kuma Village, where 14 residents are believed to have died after rescuers caught up with them on Saturday, rescue efforts continued on Sunday for dozens of residents and remaining caregivers.
Rescue teams search for missing people at the site of a heavy rain landslide in Natsugi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Southwest Japan, Sunday, July 5, 2020.
(Kyodo news via AP)
Sixty-five residents and about 30 caregivers were trapped in the spotlight on the banks of the Senjuen River when floods and mud erupted. The remaining 51 residents, including three who were hypothermic, had been rescued in boats and taken to hospitals for treatment on Sunday afternoon, officials said.
Heavy rains in the Kumamoto region caused flooding and landslides on Saturday, leaving dozens still trapped in their homes and other facilities.
(Kota Endo / Kyodo News via AP)
Shigemitsu Sakoda, a local rafting company operator who joined defense troops in the rescue effort at the nursing home, said the flood waters were still high on the first floor when they reached the site in rafts .
“So we smashed windows with a hammer to get in,” he told Japanese broadcaster NHK.
Soldiers climbed onto the roof to rescue survivors who were able to climb as the waters rose, he said.
“Unfortunately, some of the residents were unable to reach the second floor,” said Sakoda.
A man walks on a muddy road past flood-damaged houses in the village of Kuma, Kumamoto Prefecture, southwest Japan, Sunday, July 5, 2020.
(Koji Harada / Kyodo News via AP)
Overall, the deaths of 18 people were confirmed, while 16 others, including those in the nursing home, were presumed dead. Fourteen more remained missing as of Sunday afternoon. Dozens of people were still trapped in flooded areas waiting to be rescued, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
A couple walks in front of flood-damaged houses in the village of Kuma, Kumamoto Prefecture, Southwest Japan, on Sunday July 5, 2020.
(Koji Harada / Kyodo News via AP)
In the city of Hitoyoshi, the flood reached houses near the main train station. “The water went up to the second floor so fast that I couldn’t stop shaking,” a 55-year-old woman who was visiting relatives told the Asahi newspaper.
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She and her family members ran upstairs, swam out a window, and finally took refuge on the roof to await their rescue.
A car stands vertically on a muddy road after being washed away by a flood, in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, Southwest Japan, on Sunday July 5, 2020.
(Kyodo news via AP)
As floods subsided in parts of Kumamoto on Sunday, vending machines and cars lay scattered on muddy streets. Some people were cleaning their homes, removing damaged furniture and rinsing the mud.
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More than 200,000 residents in Kumamoto Prefecture were urged to evacuate after heavy rains on Friday night and through Saturday. But evacuation was not mandatory, and many people chose to stay home due to concerns about capturing the coronavirus, despite authorities saying the shelters are adequately equipped with partitions and other security measures.
People watch a search operation at the site of a mudslide in the city of Ashikita, Kumamoto Prefecture, Southwest Japan, on Saturday July 4, 2020.
(Kyodo news via AP)
The floods also cut power and communication lines, further delaying search and rescue. Almost 6,000 homes in Kumamoto were still without electricity on Sunday, according to Kyushu Electric Power Co.
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Rainfall in excess of 4 inches per hour has since decreased, but the Japan Meteorological Agency upheld mudslide warnings across Kumamoto. Prefecture officials said evacuation warnings were still in place due to more rain forecast.
