37 dead, 50 missing as heavy floods hit Japan
(VOVWORLD) - Japanese authority announced on Saturday that at least 37 people were dead and more than 50 people missing in heavy rains that lashed western Japan, triggering landslides and flooding in wide areas.
Residents are rescued from a flooded area by Japan Self-Defense Force soldiers in Kurashiki (Photo: India Today)
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Evacuation orders or advisories were issued for 4.7 million people at one point due to continued downpours. Around 48,000 members of the Self-Defense Forces, police and firefighting service were mobilized to search for trapped, wounded, or dead people. Since the downpour began Thursday, the weather agency has forecast record amounts of rain through Sunday, warning of flooding, mudslides, and lightning strikes.