Death toll rises to 60 in Japan after torrential rains

Death toll rises over 60 due rainfalls and flooding  The largest number of victims accounts for the prefecture of Hiroshima, located in the south-west of Honshu island, and the prefecture of Ehime, situated in the north-west of Shikoku island, according to the Kyodo News agency.

The number of people who died as a result of flooding and landslides caused by heavy rainfall in Japan reached 62, while 45 more people remain missing, local media reported on Sunday. Over 4.3 million Japanese have received instructions or recommendations on evacuation in connection to the heavy rains, the news outlet added. Thus, the recommendations on evacuation apply to 23 of the country’s 47 prefectures.

A total of 54,000 employees of the country’s self-defense forces, police and fire service are currently engaged in rescue operations and the work to eliminate the consequences of the driving rain, the news agency added. On July 8 morning, an emergency commission tasked with gathering and analyzing information about the rainfall’s consequences started its work as part of the office of Japanese_Prime_Minister Shinzo_Abe.

The service should also coordinate the work of the agencies involved in the rehabilitation efforts after the natural disaster. At the commission’s meeting, Abe stated that the security of many Japanese citizens was yet to be confirmed and called for making every effort while carrying out rescue operations and evacuating civilians. According to the meteorological forecast, the rainfall will continue in Japan throughout Sunday.

On July 6, the central and south-western parts of Japan were hit by torrential rains. By Sunday morning over 1,050 millimeters (41 inches) of rainfall fell in Gifu Prefecture, in Ehime Prefecture — 745 millimeters, in Kyoto Prefecture — 465 millimeters, in Hiroshima Prefecture — 442 millimeters, in Hyogo Prefecture — 430 millimeters. These figures exceed the average monthly rainfall by two or three times.