TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th July, 2020) Four Japanese settlements in Kumamoto prefecture, including the city of Hitoyoshi, have been completely cut off after severe flooding and landslides battered the country's southern regions, the NHK broadcaster reports on Saturday.
According to the broadcaster, the affected settlements are Hitoyoshi, Taragi, Yunomae, and Kuma. Parts of Kumamoto prefecture were hit by four inches of rain in the space of an hour, which resulted in the River Kuma bursting its banks.
As of 10:00 local time on Saturday [01:00 GMT], 13 people have been reported missing as dozens of homes have been washed away, the broadcaster stated.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Saturday that the government is planning to deploy roughly 10,000 Self-Defense Forces troops to the region to aid with the recovery, the broadcaster stated.
The government has ordered more than 200,000 people to evacuate from parts of Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures amid fears of further rainfall and landslides.
