Photo/Illutration The Suwagawa river floods a large section of Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, on July 7. (Kazuhiro Nagashima)

The death toll in Kyushu continues to rise from flooding and landslides even as heavy rains pummel the main southern island.

Kumamoto prefectural government officials said on July 7 a couple was confirmed dead and another elderly woman was feared dead.

Officials have confirmed that 51 people in Kumamoto have died.

In Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, officials confirmed an elderly woman died after her body was recovered from her flooded home.

A total of 12 people in Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures were reported missing as of July 6.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) is urging caution to residents about possible flooding, with heavy rain expected over a wide area, extending from western Japan to the Tohoku region in the northern part of the main Honshu island, until July 8.

The latest fatalities in Kumamoto Prefecture include an elderly couple confirmed dead after they were found in their submerged car in Yamaga.

An earlier emergency call to authorities reported the car was underwater and a man was trapped inside.

The land ministry and JMA announced the Chikugogawa river had flooded in Hita, Oita Prefecture. Oita police also received a call from a resident who said his wife was swept away from their flooded home.

Yamaga and Oguni in Kumamoto, as well as Hita, all reported more than 110 millimeters of rain in one hour. Other locations reported record amounts of rainfall, including Omuta which was deluged by 446.5 mm of rain in a 24-hour period.

But the JMA is forecasting more rain for the 24-hour period until 6 a.m. on July 8.

Northern Kyushu could get up to 250 mm of rain, while the Shikoku, Chugoku and Tokai regions could get up to 200 mm. Southern Kyushu and the Kanto-Koshin regions could get up to 180 mm, while up to 150 mm is forecast for the Kinki and Hokuriku regions and 100 mm for the Tohoku region.

At a news conference on July 7, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the government is considering designating the Kyushu region as an area hit by an emergency national disaster. That would allow for administrative deadline extensions.

He said the government is also considering providing fiscal support to the hardest-hit regions to help in their reconstruction.

Related News