Hoyasu (Japan): Rescue crews dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers on Monday as they looked for those missing from a typhoon that left as many as 56 people dead and caused serious damage in central and northern Japan.
Typhoon Hagibis unleashed torrents of rain and strong winds Saturday, leaving thousands of homes on Japan’s main island flooded, damaged or without power.
The riverside town of Hoyasu in hard-hit Nagano prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, was covered with mud, its apple orchards completely flooded and homes still without electricity. Japan’s Kyodo News agency reported that 17 were missing and some 100 were injured.
The government’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency, which is generally more conservative in assessing its numbers, said 24 people were dead and nine were missing.
Experts said it would take time to accurately assess the extent of damage, and the casualty count has been growing daily.
Hagibis dropped record amounts of rain for a period in some spots, according to meteorological officials, causing more than 20 rivers to overflow. In Kanagawa prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, 100 centimeters of rain was recorded over 48 hours.
Some of the muddy waters in streets, fields and residential areas have subsided. But many places remained flooded on Monday, with homes and surrounding roads covered in mud and littered with broken wooden pieces and debris. Some places normally dry still looked like giant rivers.
Some who lined up for morning soup at evacuation shelters, which are housing 30,000 people, expressed concern about the homes they left behind.
Survivors and rescuers will also face colder weather, with northern Japan turning chilly this week. Soldiers and firefighters were deployed to assist with rescue efforts. Helicopters could be seen plucking some of the stranded from higher floors and rooftops of submerged homes.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government would set up a special disaster team, including officials from various ministries, to deal with the fallout from the typhoon, including helping those in evacuation centers and boosting efforts to restore water and electricity to homes. (AP)
