NHK television reported that over 131,000 people in seven cities and towns across Ishikawa Prefecture on the western side of Japan’s Honshu Island have been evacuated due to severe weather conditions.
The ongoing heavy rainfall in the region has resulted in the death of one person and six others missing.
The channel confirmed that flooding rivers and landslides have caused significant disruptions, including power outages affecting at least 6,000 households.
The most severe damage was reported in the village of Noto and the cities of Wajima and Suzu.
Wajima City experienced record-breaking rainfall, with more than 300mm falling within 24 hours, marking the highest level since 1975.
Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation closely and have issued further warnings of potential heavy rains that could exacerbate the current conditions.
Emergency teams are actively engaged in rescue operations to locate the missing individuals and provide necessary assistance to those affected.
The public is urged to adhere to safety instructions and stay informed through local media and government updates.
Ministry official Koji Yamamoto told AFP. “About 60 people have been working to restore a road hit by the quake but a landslide occurred” on Saturday morning.”
“I asked (contractors) to check the safety of workers… but we are still unable to contact four people,” he said.
Rescue workers were on their way to the site but were “blocked by landslides”.
About 20 workers were taking shelter inside a tunnel they had been working to restore, Yamamoto said.
Many buildings were inundated, with landslides blocking roads, some 6,000 households without power and an unknown number of households without running water, the Ishikawa government said.
