Japan rescuers battle to reach thousands trapped by floods
A broken bridge is seen after floods caused by torrential rain, in Kumamura, Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, July 8, 2020. — Reuters pic
The rain front started in the southwest in the early hours of Saturday and has since cut a swathe of destruction across Japan, dumping record amounts of rain and causing swollen rivers to break their banks. An official in Kumamoto said 55 people from the region were confirmed to have perished with four others feared dead.
“We have experienced flooding disasters in the past many times. But this one doesn't compare. Rather than being afraid, I was just focused on escaping,” she told public broadcaster NHK.“A truly, truly, fantastic person,” she said, covering her face to hide the tears. “That was the hardest thing.”In many areas, landslides reduced houses to rubble and floodwater rushed into homes in low-lying areas, destroying the contents and rendering them uninhabitable.
Complicating the rescue efforts has been the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed nearly 1,000 lives in Japan from more than 20,000 cases. “A special characteristic of this disaster I felt was not people hesitating to evacuate, but people hesitating to offer help,” one doctor said, according to NHK.
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