Japan urges evacuations after rains leave several missing
Some 384,000 residents, mostly in Kumamoto, faced Japan's most serious evacuation warning, it said.
A father in Kosa town in Kumamoto went missing early Monday after a landslide hit near his house while he stood outside his vehicle, a town official told AFP.
His wife and their two children were safe inside the car, the official said.
In Misato town, also in Kumamoto, rescuers were trying to reach an elderly man trapped inside his house after it was struck by a landslide, the town's duty official told AFP.
"Rain was so heavy that I couldn't see what's in front of me for four to five hours," Misato town official Kazuhiro Masunaga told AFP.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Pakistan rescuers recover bodies after monsoon rains kill 320
Peshawar, PAKISTAN: Rescuers were struggling to retrieve bodies from debris after flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across northern Pakistan killed at least 321 people in the past 48 hours, authorities said on Saturday (Aug 16). The majority of deaths, 307, were reported in mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said. Most were killed in flash floods and collapsing houses, with the dead including 15 women and 13 children. At least 23 others were injured. The provincial rescue agency told AFP that around 2,000 rescue workers were engaged in recovering bodies from the debris and carrying out relief operations in nine affected districts where rain was still hampering efforts. "Heavy rainfall, landslides in several areas, and washed-out roads are causing significant challenges in delivering aid, particularly in transporting heavy machinery and ambulances," Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's rescue agency, told AFP. "Due to road closures in most areas, rescue workers are travelling on foot to conduct operations in remote regions," he added. "They are trying to evacuate survivors, but very few people are relocating due to the deaths of their relatives or loved ones being trapped in the debris." The provincial government has declared the severely affected mountainous districts of Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra and Battagram as disaster-hit areas. The meteorological department has issued a heavy rain alert for Pakistan's northwest for the next few hours, urging people to take "precautionary measures". Nine more people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while five died in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, the national disaster authority said. Another five people, including two pilots, were killed when a local government helicopter crashed due to bad weather during a relief mission on Friday. "DOOMSDAY" MONSOON The monsoon season brings South Asia about three-quarters of its annual rainfall, vital for agriculture and food security, but it also brings destruction. Landslides and flash floods are common during the season, which usually begins in June and eases by the end of September. Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah, a representative of the national disaster agency, told AFP that this year's monsoon season began earlier than usual and was expected to end later. "The next 15 days ... the intensity of the monsoon will further exacerbate," he said. One resident likened the disaster to "doomsday". "I heard a loud noise as if the mountain was sliding. I rushed outside and saw the entire area shaking, like it was the end of the world," Azizullah, a resident of Buner district, where there have been dozens of deaths and injuries, told AFP. "I thought it was doomsday," he said. "The ground was trembling due to the force of the water, and it felt like death was staring me in the face." In Bajaur, a tribal district abutting Afghanistan, a crowd gathered around an excavator digging through a mud-soaked hill. On Friday, funeral prayers began in a paddock nearby, with people grieving in front of several bodies covered by blankets. The torrential rains that have pounded Pakistan since the start of the summer monsoon, described as "unusual" by authorities, have killed more than 600 people. In July, Punjab, home to nearly half of Pakistan's 255 million people, recorded 73 per cent more rainfall than the previous year and more deaths than in the entire previous monsoon. Pakistan is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its population is contending with extreme weather events with increasing frequency. Monsoon floods in 2022 submerged a third of the country and killed around 1,700 people. Another villager in Buner told AFP locals kept on searching through the rubble throughout the night. "The entire area is reeling from profound trauma," 32-year-old local schoolteacher Saifullah Khan told AFP. "We still have no clear idea who in this small village is alive and who is dead," he added.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Pakistan rescuers recover bodies after monsoon rains kill 320
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox People gathering near a damaged vehicle and scattered debris after the road washed out following a flash flood in Mingora in Pakistan on Aug 16. PESHAWAR, Pakistan - Rescuers were struggling to retrieve bodies from debris after flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across northern Pakistan killed at least 321 people in the past 48 hours, authorities said on Aug 16. The majority of deaths, 307, were reported in mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said. Most were killed in flash floods and collapsing houses, with the dead including 15 women and 13 children. At least 23 others were injured. The provincial rescue agency told AFP that around 2,000 rescue workers were engaged in recovering bodies from the debris and carrying out relief operations in nine affected districts where rain was still hampering efforts. 'Heavy rainfall, landslides in several areas, and washed-out roads are causing significant challenges in delivering aid, particularly in transporting heavy machinery and ambulances,' Bilal Ahmed Faizi, spokesman for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's rescue agency, told AFP. 'Due to road closures in most areas, rescue workers are travelling on foot to conduct operations in remote regions,' he added. 'They are trying to evacuate survivors, but very few people are relocating due to the deaths of their relatives or loved ones being trapped in the debris.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 280 vapes seized, more than 640 people checked in one night by police, HSA in anti-vape raids Singapore 5 new walking trails allow hikers to explore heritage sites and win supermarket vouchers World Trump advises Ukraine's Zelensky to 'make a deal' with Russia after meeting Putin World Did Putin just put one over Trump at the US-Russia summit on Ukraine? Life Meet the tutors who take O-level exams every year to create a 'war mate' bond with their students Singapore Nowhere to run: Why Singapore needs to start protecting its coasts now Life Switching careers in middle age and beyond: How these Singapore professionals did it Opinion Revitalise nightlife? Let's get the crowds out first The provincial government has declared the severely affected mountainous districts of Buner, Bajaur, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra and Battagram as disaster-hit areas. The meteorological department has issued a heavy rain alert for Pakistan's north-west for the next few hours, urging people to take 'precautionary measures'. Nine more people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while five died in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, the national disaster authority said. Another five people, including two pilots, were killed when a local government helicopter crashed due to bad weather during a relief mission on Friday. 'Doomsday' monsoon The monsoon season brings South Asia about three-quarters of its annual rainfall, vital for agriculture and food security, but it also brings destruction. Landslides and flash floods are common during the season, which usually begins in June and eases by the end of September. Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah, a representative of the national disaster agency, told AFP that this year's monsoon season began earlier than usual and was expected to end later. 'The next 15 days... the intensity of the monsoon will further exacerbate,' he said. One resident likened the disaster to 'doomsday'. 'I heard a loud noise as if the mountain was sliding. I rushed outside and saw the entire area shaking, like it was the end of the world,' Azizullah, a resident of Buner district, where there have been dozens of deaths and injuries, told AFP. 'I thought it was doomsday,' he said. 'The ground was trembling due to the force of the water, and it felt like death was staring me in the face.' In Bajaur, a tribal district abutting Afghanistan, a crowd gathered around an excavator digging through a mud-soaked hill. On Aug 15, funeral prayers began in a paddock nearby, with people grieving in front of several bodies covered by blankets. The torrential rains that have pounded Pakistan since the start of the summer monsoon, described as 'unusual' by authorities, have killed more than 600 people. In July, Punjab, home to nearly half of Pakistan's 255 million people, recorded 73 percent more rainfall than the previous year and more deaths than in the entire previous monsoon. Pakistan is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its population is contending with extreme weather events with increasing frequency. Monsoon floods in 2022 submerged a third of the country and killed around 1,700 people. Another villager in Buner told AFP locals kept on searching through the rubble throughout the night. 'The entire area is reeling from profound trauma,' 32-year-old local schoolteacher Saifullah Khan told AFP. 'We still have no clear idea who in this small village is alive and who is dead,' he added. 'I help retrieve the bodies of the children I taught, I keep wondering what kind of trial nature has imposed on these kids.' AFP
CNA
18 hours ago
- CNA
Heat stress: Land transport infrastructure sector employers urged to adopt heat measures
Authorities are urging the land transport infrastructure sector to step up heat-stress management, as temperatures rise with climate change. Their latest guidelines build on earlier measures for outdoor work, and cover workers involved in road works and related activities. Professor Marcus Ong, Senior Consultant at the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Singapore General Hospital, examines if these measures are enough. He also puts forward his own proposed recommendations.
