Five killed after heavy rains in eastern Japan

At least five people were killed in eastern Japan due to “unprecedented” heavy rains that hit the region, authorities announced on Friday, which also stranded thousands of travelers at Narita International Airport.

The heavy rains, which fell late on Thursday, triggered warnings of landslides and power outages, as meteorologists issued their highest-level warning for heavy rainfall in Chiba Prefecture for the first time.

In rural areas of Chiba, dozens of cars were left abandoned, some covered in mud, while technical crews worked throughout the day to repair roads that had been severely damaged or collapsed.

The Chiba Disaster Management Office reported that among the deceased was a man in his 60s or 70s found floating in floodwaters on a submerged road, and a 66-year-old woman who was trapped in her car by rising water.

It added that approximately 26,000 households in Chiba Prefecture were without electricity by Friday morning. Many homes were flooded.

A official from the Japan Meteorological Agency described the situation at a press conference on Thursday as “trending toward unprecedented levels of heavy rainfall.”

The Chiba Disaster Management Office stated that around 6,000 travelers were stranded at Narita Airport, one of the two main airports serving Tokyo, after numerous train services to and from the airport were canceled until Friday afternoon.

Hundreds of people were also stranded at Chiba Railway Station due to service suspensions, according to a France Press journalist’s observation.

The Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) reported that hundreds spent the night in shelters in Chiba Prefecture, and footage showed cars submerged in floodwaters up to their headlights in the city of Kashiwa.

A woman living in Ichikawa, Chiba, said, “It all happened so suddenly, it was completely unexpected. There’s no electricity, so I’m worried about whether I’ll be able to reopen my shop in the coming days.”