Photos show Japanese rescue teams wading through waterlogged streets as heavy rain prompts evacuation orders for nearly 2 million people
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Matthew Loh
Aug 16, 2021, 15:13 IST
A woman pushes a bike through a flooded street in Takeo, Japan.
Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters
The western coast of Japan is being battered by heavy rain that is flooding rivers and submerging streets.
Authorities have issued evacuation orders for nearly 2 million people because of floods and landslides.
At least three people - a mother and two boys - have died.
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Mudslides and floods caused by heavy rain struck the Japanese west coast last weekend, leaving three dead. Local authorities in seven prefectures have issued the highest level evacuation warning for 1.8 million residents, reported local broadcaster NHK.
The evacuation order is non-compulsory but is used by authorities to alert people that they should either flee or take appropriate actions at home to protect themselves, such as moving to a higher floor.
Three people - a mother and two young sons from the Nagano prefecture - were found dead after a landslide blew through their house, city officials told Asahi Shimbun.
The torrential rain has flooded rivers and waterlogged entire towns, with rescue teams having to use boats to navigate submerged roads.
"We have yet to see the full picture of the disaster," he said.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga urged local government bodies on Sunday to cooperate and act quickly on rescue and aid efforts, and to be on high alert even in areas where rainfall is lessening, per Reuters.
Freak weather also hit the northern island of Hokkaido this month. Last week, a cold spell in the middle of summer plunged a city to 36.7°F after it reported temperatures of up to 87.8°F the week before.
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