Dozens of people have been killed by severe flooding and landslides after heavy rain continued to besiege central and western Japan on Sunday.
The deluge began Thursday, as torrential rains pounded major parts of the country, including the cities of Hiroshima and Kyoto. Within a 72-hour period, 93 locations reported record rainfall, John Matthews reported for NPR in Tokyo.
Rivers surged and the ground loosened, causing some people to be swept away by rushing water and others to be buried alive in landslides.
Video footage showed people being airlifted to hospitals and others heading toward dry land on rafts.
The number of casualties remains unclear. According to Japanese broadcaster NHK, 85 people have died and dozens remain missing.
"I went to my father's family home but it was hopeless," a man in submerged Kurashiki City said, according to the BBC. "We were hoping to find two people but still can't find one."
Millions of people were advised to evacuate their homes. Some houses have since collapsed, while roads and bridges have closed. Officials in Kyoto prefecture say they are trying to control flooding at several dams.
"The rescue and lifesaving operation is now a race against the clock," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.
"There are concerns that further damage may occur through, for example, the loosening of the ground in various locations because of the extended period of rain," Abe said.
About 54,000 police personnel, firefighters, Self-Defense forces and Japanese Coast Guard have been deployed in the rescue effort, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters.
The government plans to mobilize pumper trucks to drain the water but it may take two weeks to fully drain, Kyodo News agency reported.
Responding to the tragedy, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty tweeted, "Deeply saddened to hear of the lives lost due to heavy rains and flooding in Western Japan. Praying for the safe return of those still missing."
Many severe warnings have been lifted as the rains ease, aiding rescue efforts. But authorities say it will take time to determine the extent of the region's damage and casualties.
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