Almost two weeks after Typhoon Hagibis tore through Japan, flood waters have caused further havoc in towns east of Tokyo. Rescuers have found several bodies in submerged vehicles or crushed by collapsed housing.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Kyodo News
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Torrential rain that caused flooding and mudslides in eastern Japan left at least 10 people dead, with damaged surrounding areas still recovering from recent typhoons.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held an emergency meeting on Saturday and called for "the utmost effort in rescue and relief operations."
Friday's heavy rainfall caused muddy waters to overflow from several rivers in Chiba prefecture and flooded several towns east of Tokyo.
Nine bodies were discovered in Chiba, with mudslides in Midori district crushing three houses and killing three people buried beneath them. Another mudslide hit a house in Chiba's Ichihara city, killing a woman.
"There was enormous noise and impact, 'boom' like an earthquake, so I went outside. Then look what happened. I was terrified," said one Midori resident. "The rain was even more intense than the typhoons."
In the towns of Nagara and Chonan, four people drowned when their cars became submerged in water.
Rescue workers found the body of another missing person who had become engulfed in floodwaters while driving.
About 4,700 homes across Chiba lacked running water and several train services were suspended or delayed. A highway toll gate close to Tokyo's Narita International Airport was momentarily shut down for safety reasons.
Further north in Fukushima prefecture, the body of a woman was found in a park in Soma city. Her car was reportedly washed away.
Fukushima is still damaged following Typhoon Hagibis , which struck earlier this month, leaving more than 80 people dead or presumed dead across the country.
"I wasn't ready for another disaster like this. I've had enough of this, and I need a break," Yoshiki Takeuchi, a Chiba resident, told local media. While waters in Chiba have subsided, parts of the prefecture are still inundated.
Japan: Typhoon Hagibis leaves a trail of destruction
At least 50 people have died in Japan after one of the worst typhoons to hit the country in more than half a century. Search and rescue operations are underway as locals struggle to come to terms with the carnage.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Kyodo
Elderly woman falls to her death
Japan bolstered search and rescue operations on Monday, as the storm
weakened to an extratropical cyclone over the Pacific Ocean. On Sunday, a 77-year-old woman died after she was accidentally dropped 40 meters (131 feet) from a rescue helicopter. The Tokyo Fire Department confirmed that the pensioner had not been strapped in properly while being airlifted in Iwaki city, Fukushima.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Kyodo
Carried to safety
Thousands of troops and rescue workers have been deployed to save stranded residents and fight floods caused by one of the worst typhoons to hit the country in 60 years. Here, an elderly lady is seen on the back of a rescuer in Motomiya, in northern Japan.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Kyodo
Nagano under water
Homes in Nagano, central Japan, were left submerged Sunday after the Chikuma River overflowed as a result of Typhoon Hagibis. Seventeen people remained unaccounted for across the country, according to the Kyodo News agency, after the storm unleashed record rainfall, triggering flooding and landslides.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Kyodo/MAXPPP
Widespread damage
The banks of 21 rivers across the country collapsed and nearly 150 overflowed, flooding nearby areas and causing major damage, including to this bridge over the Chikuma River in Tomi, Nagano. Dozens of landslides cut off road links, leaving people stranded.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Taketazu
Transportation shut down
The typhoon brought the country to a standstill. Flooded railway tracks and canceled trains caused commuter chaos, and more than 100 flights were scrapped, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
Image: Reuters/Kyodo
Moment of silence
The typhoon disrupted a three-day weekend in Japan that includes Sports Day on Monday. Three Rugby World Cup matches were canceled over the weekend, and qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka circuit was postponed. On Sunday, fans closed their eyes during the moment of silence for the typhoon victims before the rugby match between Japan and Scotland in Yokohama.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS/R. Reyes Marin
Eye of the storm
Hagibis hurtled toward Japan with wind speeds reaching 216 kilometers per hour (134 miles per hour), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Authorities had warned Hagibis was on a par with a typhoon that wreaked havoc in the Tokyo region in 1958, but modern safety infrastructure helped save lives. The typhoon six decades ago left over 1,200 people dead and half a million houses flooded.
