일본 지바현, 12시간 동안 348㎜ 폭우…하루 8명 숨졌다

On 14th, Japan's Enenichi Broadcasting Corporation reported that 8 people had died in the flood disaster in Zaba City within 12 hours due to heavy rainfall. Just a half an hour before, the death toll was just 4. Most victims were swept away by sudden heavy rainfall. One man even called the emergency number "110" saying he was trapped in his car and couldn't get out.

Emergency services arrived on the scene and the victim was found dead in the submerged road tunnel. At least 3 such cases were found with cars stuck in the inundated road, and some were found lying in the flooded road. On April 13th, Japan's central Zaba City experienced the heaviest rainfall ever recorded, with 348mm of rain in just 12 hours.

Zaba City's mayor stated that this rainfall was eight times the monthly average for August, and emphasized that saving lives was the top priority for the relevant agencies. In Zaba City and surrounding Ichihara City, landslides were reported in 70 cases, and 300+ homes were flooded. Over 7,000 people were stranded at home due to flooded roads.

The situation overwhelmed local governments' ability to cope with the calamity. The flooding in Zaba City was caused by a "storm surge" where a band of intense rainfall concentrated in the same area. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a "Level 5 Special Warning" for heavy rain in some parts of Zaba City. Recently, Japan has been facing a series of natural disasters including large earthquakes, extreme heatwaves, and now heavy rainfall.

Last month, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the southwestern Shimane Prefecture, killing 39 people and causing extensive damage to over 28,000 homes. Extreme heat also continued to wreak havoc in Japan, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, resulting in the rescue of over 7,000 people during a week-long period from March 3rd to March 9th.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addressed the situation on his social media platform X, stating, "Several people have died in Zaba City, and there are still missing persons reported. The government will work closely with relevant ministries and local governments to manage the crisis."