TOKYO, Oct 14 (NNN-NHK) – At least 31 people have died, and another 16 missing as Typhoon Hagibis ripped through Japan, including the Tokyo metropolitan area, leaving more than 376,000 households in Tokyo and regions close-by without power.
Meanwhile, some 100 people were injured across the country, according to a Kyodo News tally, based on the information provided by rescuers and authorities.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, at least 48 landslides and mudflows have been reported in 12 prefectures, and nine rivers burst their banks. Some 27,000 Self-Defence Force personnel have been mobilised for rescue and relief operations across the country.
Nagano Prefecture was one of the hardest-hit areas, as the bank of the Chikuma River collapsed, causing massive flooding in residential areas, with officials of the city of Nagano and neighbouring cities calling on residents to take the utmost caution for their safety.
The land ministry estimated that some of those areas may see floodwaters of up to five metres deep.
Floodwater also engulfed bullet trains parked at East Japan Railway Co.’s rail yard near Nagano Station. According to the company, 10 trains, with a total of 120 carriages, were damaged, which means one-third of its bullet trains used for the Hokuriku Shinkansen line were damaged by flooding.
Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, said, the government is setting up an emergency task-force to get the full picture of the damage and to take every possible measure to protect people’s lives.– NNN-NHK