At least 76 people have been killed in flooding and landslides following heavy rains in Japan. Yoshihide Suga, government spokesman said the whereabouts of 92 people, mostly in the Hiroshima prefecture, are unknown.
Suga said more than 100 reports of casualties had been received, such as cars being swept away and some 40 helicopters were out on rescue missions. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters that the rescue teams are doing their utmost.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said one area in Kochi prefecture received an accumulated 26.3 centimetres of rainfall in three hours, the highest since such records started in 1976.
On the other hand, authorities said the assessment of casualties has been difficult because of the widespread area affected by the rainfall, flooding and landslides. They warned that landslides could strike even after rain subsides as the calamity shaped up to be potentially the worst in decades.
