Death toll rises to 7 after heavy rain pounds Japan’s Ishikawa

TOKYO, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) — Unprecedented rainfall has left seven people dead in Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture as of Monday afternoon, with several others remaining unaccounted for as rescue work continued, local media reported.
Among the victims, two men were discovered dead on Sunday near a tunnel where landslides had trapped workers. Another two elderly women were found dead on Saturday, buried under mud and debris, according to public broadcaster NHK, citing information from local police.
A man rescued near the downstream area of a river was confirmed dead and one more fatality was reported as a home was engulfed by a landslide.
Authorities are still searching for two people, one in Noto town and one in Suzu city, who were swept away by a river, the NHK reported.
The safety of five others is unconfirmed, the report showed.
Torrential rain pounded Ishikawa from Saturday, a region still reeling from a major earthquake at the start of the year.
Japan’s weather agency on Sunday morning downgraded its heavy rain emergency warning for parts of Ishikawa Prefecture to a warning, but authorities called for continued vigilance against possible floods and landslides.
As of 3:00 p.m. local time Monday, 56 locations across Wajima city, Suzu city, and Noto town remained isolated due to landslides and flooding. In Wajima city alone, 40 areas across eight districts were affected.
Over 5,000 households were experiencing water shortages due to power outages and water pipe damage, according to the report. ■