Huge floods sweep southern Japan, at least 15 missing
At least 15 people are missing after huge floods swept away houses in southern Japan, tearing up roads as they surged through villages, with authorities warning hundreds of thousands of people to flee, the Hindu reports.
Japan is deploying 7,500 police, rescue personnel and troops in affected areas of Kyushu, while 40 helicopters are on standby for search operations once the weather clears, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Thursday.
"We are in an extremely serious situation," Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said, warning of the danger of collapsing hillsides and adding "many people are still missing", as reported by Japan Today.
Television footage showed rolling waves from swollen rivers hitting residential areas, tearing up roads and inundating farmland. The city of Asakura was among the hardest hit with television footage showing floodwaters surging through the streets.