After heavy rains, more than 400,000 people have been ordered to or advised to leave their homes in Kyushu on July 14, 2012. Heavy rains have lashed the area for the third day and have claimed 29 lives.
More landslides and floods in Kumamoto, Oita, Fukuoka, and Saga Prefectures have been warned by the Japan Meteorological Agency. The evacuation orders have been issued to about 260,000 people in the northern prefectures where most of the rivers burst their banks.
The people have been instructed to go to the designated shelters like schools and other public facilities. More than 140,000 people have been asked to leave their homes to avoid a possible disaster. The TV footage has shown the torrents of muddy, debris-strewn water and flooded houses.
Along the Yamakuni river in Oita Prefecture the water levels were seen reaching the roof of the river side drive in restaurant. 78,600 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes in Fukuoka Prefecture alone, as the rivers overflowed in dozens of places and 181 landslides have occurred. The city of Aso recorded more than 75 centimetres of rainfall. The city is situated at the foot of a volcano in Kumamoto prefecture. The death toll remained at 20 overnight with 19 of the fatalities from the landslides and house collapses.
