Tokyo: Japan’s southern region is reeling under flood due to the incessant rains and now heavy rains started in northeastern Japan from Wednesday. Due to this, rivers are in spate and landslides have been reported. Houses and roads have also been damaged. At least 58 people have died in floods in the last several days. As of Wednesday morning, some areas of Nagano and Gifu in central Japan have been flooded. According to photographs shown on NHK television, the Hida river is in spate and it damaged the national highway near the river, breaking the coast.
In the second city of Gero in central Japan, the river water has reached just below the bridge over the river. Many houses in Takayama City were destroyed by mud. Debris uprooted here is scattered. Nothing is immediately known about the people living here. Around 36 lakh people across the country were advised to move to safer places, although this is not mandatory and the number of people seeking shelter has not been given. The death toll due to heavy rain reached 58 on Wednesday. Most of these people are from the most affected province of Kumameto.