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Nearly 40 feared dead as torrential rains hit southwest Japan

6 July 2020
13700
2020-07-06 13:40

Nearly 40 people were feared dead as torrential rains continued to hit Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu, with river banks at risk of bursting on Monday morning and new evacuation orders put in place. Flooding and mudslides that began on the weekend have killed 21 people so far. A further 18 people were presumed dead pending official confirmation, and 13 people remain missing, Chief Cabinet Secretary said at a news conference.

The Chief Cabinet Secretary added that some 40,000 members police and fire departments, as well as the country's Self-Defense Forces and coast guard were involved in rescue missions. The evacuation centers were also working on preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus by distributing disinfectant and asking evacuees to maintain distance from one other.

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