Thursday, July 12, 2012

Rain causes flooding, mudslides in Japan; 15 dead

A road is covered with mud and woods carried by a mudslide in Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture, western Japan, Thursday, July 12, 2012. Heavy rains hit southern Japan, triggering flashfloods, mudslides and destroying dozens of homes. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN JAPAN, CHINA, HONG KONG, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE

A road is covered with mud and woods carried by a mudslide in Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture, western Japan, Thursday, July 12, 2012. Heavy rains hit southern Japan, triggering flashfloods, mudslides and destroying dozens of homes. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN JAPAN, CHINA, HONG KONG, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE

Riverbanks are covered with mud and woods carried by floodwater in Takeda, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, Thursday, July 12, 2012. Heavy rains hit southern Japan, triggering flashfloods, mudslides and destroying dozens of homes. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN JAPAN, CHINA, HONG KONG, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE

(AP) ? Heavy rain triggered flash floods and mudslides in southern Japan on Thursday, causing at least 15 deaths and leaving 11 more people missing.

Television footage showed residents wading through muddy, knee-deep water on streets. Others shoveled out mud from their homes.

Local officials said damage was concentrated in Kumamoto and neighboring Oita states on Japan's southern island of Kyushu. Most victims were in their 70s and 80s.

Hundreds of homes were destroyed or damaged, and tens of thousands of people had to evacuate the area threatened by swollen rivers and mudslides.

The Meteorological Agency said as much as 50 centimeters (20 inches) of rain fell overnight. It predicted up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) of rainfall through Friday.

Rescue workers and defense troops have been sent to the region to help. Some residents trapped in inundated areas were airlifted by helicopters.

The heavy rains also disrupted local train services, blocked off roads and left about 22,000 homes without electricity.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-07-12-Japan-Floods/id-44571c608c344316b766753064b53b20

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