Japan orders mass evacuation in Ishikawa due to flood risk
APTens of thousands of people in four cities in central Japan have been ordered to evacuate after forecasters warned of major flooding caused by heavy rain.
About 18,000 people in Wajima city and another 12,000 in Suzu were told to seek shelter in Ishikawa prefecture, Honshu island.
AFP news agency said another 16,000 residents in Niigata and Yamagata provinces north of Ishikawa were also asked to evacuate.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has declared a heavy rain emergency – the highest warning level – for several areas in the region.
NHKJapanese public broadcaster NHK quoted government officials as saying 12 rivers had overflowed their banks.
NHK also aired footage showing an entire street in Wajima submerged in water.
Three rivers in Ishikawa have overflowed into nearby communities, a local official told AFP.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said at least one house was destroyed by a landslide, but did not provide further details.
Wajima and Suzu, on the Noto Peninsula in central Japan, were among the areas hardest hit by a major earthquake on New Year’s Day that killed at least 236 people.
The area is still recovering from a Deadly 7.5 magnitude earthquake on New Year’s Day.
More than 161 people were killed by a powerful earthquake that collapsed buildings, destroyed roads and sparked a major fire.
In recent years, Japan has seen unprecedented rainfall in some parts of the country, accompanied by floods and landslides that have sometimes caused casualties.
