Move FM Global News

TOKYO, Japan: On August 8, relentless downpours lashed Japan’s southern island of Kyushu, triggering floods and landslides that drove residents into emergency shelters as authorities issued the region’s highest-level weather alerts.

In Aira city, Kagoshima prefecture, a mudslide struck a home, burying two people who were later rescued alive and taken to the hospital, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported. Officials ordered evacuation advisories for more than 360,000 residents across Kagoshima and neighboring Miyazaki prefecture.

Television footage showed swollen rivers churning with muddy water, while in Kirishima city, floodwaters rose to knee height inside a shopping mall. The downpour crippled local transport, suspending trains and buses and grounding dozens of flights to and from Kagoshima.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s government quickly formed an emergency task force to coordinate relief efforts. “The government will do everything to protect your life and safety,” Ishiba pledged.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned that the low-pressure system driving the storms would continue to bring heavy rain and thunderstorms to Kyushu throughout the day. JMA official Shuichi Tachihara, speaking at a nationally televised news conference, cautioned that the risk of disaster was rising and urged residents to take early precautions.