Death Toll From Floods, Landslides In Southwestern Japan Rises To 24 - Reports

TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th July, 2020) Severe flooding and landslides in southwestern Japan have left 24 people dead, the country's NHK broadcaster reported on Sunday.

As of 14:00 GMT, the health authorities confirmed the death of 24 people, while 16 others are presumed dead, as they displayed no vital signs. Another 12 people are still missing.

Record-setting rainfall, which saw some regions receive as much as four inches of rain per hour, battered southwestern Japan in the early hours of Saturday morning. The rainfall caused the River Kuma to burst its banks in several areas, cutting off roughly 30 districts in Kumamoto prefecture.

The Japanese government has mobilized 10,000 members of the country's Self-Defense Forces to aid with recovery and rescue operations.