Photo/Illutration A man died after his home was demolished by a landslide in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture. (Yuki Kamauchi)

Rescue workers searched for at least six people missing after heavy rain pounded the Noto Peninsula, triggering landslides and floods and leaving one person dead in a region still recovering from a deadly Jan. 1 earthquake.

On Sept. 21, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued the highest alert level for heavy rain across several cities in the Ishikawa prefecture, including hard-hit cities Suzu and Wajima on the northern coast of the peninsula.

The agency has since downgraded the heavy rain alert, and kept landslide and flooding warnings in place.

In Suzu, one person died and another was missing after being swept away in floodwaters. Another person went missing in the nearby town of Noto, according to the prefecture.

In Wajima, rescue workers were searching for four people missing following a landslide at a construction site. They were among 60 construction workers repairing a tunnel damaged by January's quake.

Another person was reported missing due to floods at a different location in the city.

Television footage at a coastal area of Wajima showed a wooden house torn and tilted after it was apparently hit by a landslide. No injuries were reported from the site.

In Noto itself, two people were seriously injured by a landslide while visiting their quake-damaged home.

At least 16 rivers in Ishikawa breached their banks, according to the land and ministry on Sept. 21. Residents were urged to use maximum caution against possible mudslides and building damage.

By late afternoon, about 1,350 residents were taking shelter at designated community centers, school gymnasiums and other town facilities, authorities said.

About 50 centimeters of rain has fallen in the region over the last three days, due to the rainbands that cause torrential rain above the Hokuriku region, the JMA said.

“Heavy rain is hitting the region that had been badly damaged by the Noto earthquake, and I believe many people are feeling very uneasy,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.

Hayashi said the government “puts people’s lives first” and its priority was search and rescue operations. He also called on the residents to pay close attention to the latest weather and evacuation advisories and take precautions early, adding that Self-Defense Forces troops have been dispatched to Ishikawa to join rescue efforts.

A number of roads flooded by muddy water were also blocked. Hokuriku Electric Power Co. said more than 5,000 homes were still without power on Sept. 22. Traffic signals were out in the affected areas. Many homes were also without water supply.

Heavy rain also fell in nearby northern prefectures of Niigata and Yamagata, threatening flooding and other damage as well as suspending train operations, including the Yamagata Shinkansen bullet trains, officials said.

A magnitude-7.6 earthquake struck the region on Jan. 1, killing more than 370 people. Its aftermath still affects the local industry, economy and daily lives.

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