At Least 15 Feared Dead After Torrential Rains Sweep Through Southern Japan

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Heavy rain has flooded in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto prefecture in Japan on Saturday.





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Members of Japan’s Self-Defence Forces work at the site of a landslide caused by heavy rain in Ashikita, Kumamoto prefecture.





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Members of Japan’s Self-Defence Forces work at the site of a landslide caused by heavy rain in Ashikita, Kumamoto prefecture.


STR/Jiji Press/AFP via Getty Images

By evening, the rain had subsided and emergency responders were searching for survivors. At least 10 people were reported missing, and dozens were stranded on rooftops.

«It wasn’t like normal rain, one woman told the Japanese news outlet NHK. «I honestly never imagined it could be so powerful.

Japanese weather forecasters had expected heavy rains. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued its highest warning before 5 a.m. Saturday, according to Kyodo News. The agency said the downpour that came was greater than any seen before in the region, the BBC reported. At one point, part of Kumamoto prefecture saw almost 4 inches of rainfall per hour.

«I saw large trees and parts of houses being washed away and heard them crashing into something, Haruka Yamada, 32, told Kyodo News. «The air is filled with the smell of leaking gas and sewage, he said.

Ten thousand members of Japan’s defense force were mobilized to assist in rescue efforts, The New York Times reported. More heavy rain is expected through Wednesday.