Soldiers rescued residents on boats as floodwaters flowed down streets in southern Japanese towns hit by deadly rains that were expanding across the region Tuesday. At least 50 people have died and a dozen are missing.

Pounding rain since late Friday in Japan’s southern region of Kyushu has triggered widespread flooding. More rain was predicted in Kyushu and the western half of Japan’s main island as the rain front moved east.

In Fukuoka, on the northern part of the island, three soldiers waded through knee-high water pulling a boat carrying a mother, her 2-month-old baby and two other residents.

“Good job!” one of the soldiers said as he held up the baby to his chest while the mother got off the boat, Asahi video footage showed. Several children wearing orange life vests over their wet T-shirts arrived on another boat.

An older woman told NHK television she started walking down the road to evacuate, but floodwater rose quickly up to her neck. Another woman said, “I was almost washed away and had to grab a electrical pole.”

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 49 victims were from riverside towns in the Kumamoto prefecture. Another of the dead confirmed as of Tuesday morning was a woman in her 80s found inside her flooded home in another prefecture.

About 3 million residents were advised to evacuate across Kyushu, Japan’s third-largest island.

Tens of thousands of army troops, police and other rescue workers mobilized from around the country worked their way through mud and debris in the hardest-hit riverside towns along the Kuma River. Rescue operations have been hampered by the floodwater and continuing harsh weather.

In Kuma village in the hardest-hit Kumamoto prefecture, dozens of residents took shelter at a park. The roofed structure had no walls or floor and they sat on blue tarps spread on the dirt ground, with no partitions. The village office’s electricity and communications had been cut.

Among the victims were 14 residents of a nursing home next to the Kuma River, known as the “raging river” because it is joined by another river just upstream and is prone to flooding. Its embankment fell, letting water gush into the nursing home.

Related Stories
‹
Spain Searches for Bodies After Unprecedented Flooding Claims at Least 158 Lives
Crews searched for bodies in stranded cars and sodden buildings Thursday as people tried to salvage what they could from their ruined homes following monstrous flash floods in Spain
One on One: The Great Floods of 1916 and 2024
D.G. Martin writes about several instances of major floods in North Carolina, and how people's experiences with Helene is the latest chapter.
Climate Thursday: Haw Riverkeeper Emily Sutton
Emily Sutton of the Haw River Assembly speaks with 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Thursday, August 8.
Hurricane Debby Makes Landfall in Florida as Category 1 Storm and Threatens Catastrophic Flooding
Hurricane Debby reached the coast of Florida on Monday, bringing the potential for catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge.
Morinaga Set to Expand Orange County Manufacturing Plant, Invest $136 Million in New Facility
After nearly ten years of successful operations in western Orange County, Morinaga will expand its facility for producing HI-CHEW candies.
North Carolina Welcomes a Historic Visitor in Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida
Written by MAKIYA SEMINERA Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida cemented economic links and cultural amity with North Carolina on Friday, following up time in Washington during his official U.S. visit by checking up on benchmark Japanese companies building in the ninth-most populous state and later planning to speak with students. In between, Kishida lunched at […]
Japan Prime Minister's Spouse Visits Chapel Hill High School Class During NC Tour
The spouse of the Japanese Prime Minister visited Chapel Hill High School on Friday and spoke to students learning the Japanese language.
5 Big Promises Made at Annual UN Climate Talks and What Has Happened Since
Written by GAURAV SAINI and SIBI ARASU When United Nations climate talks wrap up at some point this week in Dubai, big promises will likely be made about how the world is going to combat climate change, caused by the burning of fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal. Negotiators are debating how fast fossil […]
Biden Wants To Show He’s Focused on Asia-Pacific, While Dealing With Russia-Ukraine and Mideast Wars
President Joe Biden is looking to use a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders to show world leaders the United States is focused on the region.
10,000 People Are Missing and Thousands Are Feared Dead as Eastern Libya Is Devastated by Floods
Written by SAMY MAGDY Emergency workers uncovered hundreds of bodies as they dug through the wreckage of Libya’s eastern city of Derna on Tuesday, and 10,000 people were reported still missing after floodwaters broke through dams and smashed through the city, washing away entire neighborhoods. At least 700 recovered bodies have been buried so far, […]
›