Heavy rains and flooding since June 3 in Japan have forced more than 203,000 residents in Kumamoto and neighboring Kagoshima prefecture to evacuate. As of July 5, heavy rains have killed 34 people and left 14 missing. The image shows water from the Kuma River rising after heavy rain and overflowing into residential areas in Kumamoto.
The Japan Meteorological Agency forecasts heavy rain to continue into the next week and warns people to be on guard against landslides. "The recent rainfall has caused land subsidence in many areas. There is a risk of landslides even if there is no more rain".
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had previously ordered the establishment of a rapid response team and mobilized at least 10,000 people from the Japanese Defense Forces for search and rescue.
The flood swept away many houses and vehicles, causing some areas to be isolated. What remains is a pile of rubble submerged in mud. Authorities are still trying to search for 14 missing people after floodwaters flooded and submerged a nursing home in Kumamoto.
About 4,500 homes in Kumamoto Prefecture were still without power on Sunday afternoon, according to Kyushu Electric Power Co.
The flood hit Kumamoto Prefecture on the southwestern island of Kyushu, destroying homes, sweeping away vehicles and causing bridges to collapse.
Heavy rain has turned the roads in Kumamoto into a river. Some places have begun to recede, leaving behind piles of mud and debris, collapsed houses under the mud. Reuters news agency said this was the worst natural disaster in Japan since super typhoon Hagibis last October that killed 90 people.
