TOKYO—Two people were confirmed dead and 23 remained missing Friday after days of torrential rain triggered floods and mudslides on Japan’s main island.
The government’s disaster management agency said two deaths were confirmed as of 2 p.m. local time Friday. All but one of the 23 missing were in Joso city, about 30 miles northeast of Tokyo, parts of which were inundated Thursday after floodwaters broke through embankments. There were 25 people missing in the city initially, but three were confirmed safe later in the day, a local government spokeswoman said.
Approximately 5,800 members of the self-defense forces, the police and the fire department have been involved in the rescue missions in the areas, with 51 helicopters dispatched, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.
The rain, triggered by Typhoon Etau, which made landfall in central Japan Wednesday, moved toward the Kanto region including Tokyo and later to the northeast Tohoku area on Friday. It caused Kinugawa River to break through a flood berm on Thursday, and local television showed several dramatic rescues live as people were lifted from the upper floors of their homes into helicopters.
The meteorological agency said flooding has been confirmed in two additional rivers in the Tohoku region. Some areas have experienced as much as 500 millimeters (20 inches) of rain since Sunday.
