TOKYO: At least one person was killed and more than 40 others sustained minor injuries in central Japan after a linear rainband brought record rainfall to parts of the Tokai region, authorities said Wednesday.
The torrential rain, which began Tuesday, caused widespread disruption across the region, including flooding, transport disruptions and landslides.
In Nagoya, severe disruption to public transport left commuters and students stranded overnight, prompting the local government to provide emergency assistance. Around 3,500 people sought shelter at evacuation centres, while approximately 200 vehicles were inundated. Officials reported 41 injuries in the city as of 1 p.m. Wednesday.
The fatality was reported in Kawanehoncho, Shizuoka Prefecture, where a man working to reinforce a slope was caught in a landslide Tuesday morning. He was pronounced dead the following day.
In Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, a man in his 60s suffered a broken bone after going outside to check rainfall conditions.
The heavy rain also caused major disruption around Nagoya Station, where some commuters spent the night in karaoke venues and other temporary shelters before attempting to resume their journeys to work the following morning.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned that heavy rain could continue across parts of the country through Thursday as an active weather front remains over the region.
Authorities have urged residents to remain alert for landslides, flooding and rising river levels, warning that even relatively small amounts of additional rainfall could trigger further disasters in the Tokai region, where the ground has already been weakened by the heavy precipitation.
Up to 100 millimetres of rain is forecast for the Tokai and Kanto-Koshin regions during the 24 hours through 6 p.m. Thursday.
The latest rainfall comes after torrential downpours battered central Japan on Tuesday, prompting an emergency flood warning for a major river in the region and highlighting the growing risks posed by intense rainfall events.
