Record Rains Leave 22 Dead in Southwest Japan Landslides
(
Bloomberg) Record rains in southwestern Japan triggered landslides and flooding that killed at least 22 people, forced almost a quarter of a million to evacuate and disrupted transportation on the southern main island of Kyushu.
A record 50.75 centimeters (20 inches) of rain fell in 24 hours in Aso city, central Kyushu, and some parts of the islands north may see more than 8 centimeters of rain per hour today, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
Five local railway lines on the island are stopped, while the high-speed mainline service resumed operation at 1:31 p.m., according to the website of Kyushu Railway Co.
Rivers in the region including the Yamakuni flooded, and people living nearby are advised to evacuate, public broadcaster NHK reported. At least 246,000 people in Kyushu have been ordered to evacuate, according to NHK. ................(more)
The complete piece is at:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-14/record-rains-leave-20-dead-in-southwest-japan-landslides-floods.html