Japan, hit by torrential rains, orders 800,000 to evacuate

123rf

Nearly 800,000 people in southwestern Japan have been ordered to evacuate as torrential rain threatened to cause landslides and flooding.

Some parts of Kyushu have received up to 39.4 inches of rain since Friday, with the Japan Meteorological Agency warning of more rainfall till midday Thursday.

In Tokyo, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said residents should "take steps to protect their lives, including early evacuation" and ordered the military to prepare for rescue operations.

 

More from International News

  • US Senate passes Trump's tax-cut, spending bill; sends to House

    The Republican-controlled US Senate passed President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill on Tuesday, signing off on a massive package that would enshrine many of his top domestic priorities into law while adding $3.3 trillion to the national debt.

  • France shuts schools as heatwave grips Europe

    More than a thousand schools were closed in France on Tuesday and the top floor of the Eiffel Tower was shut to tourists as a severe heatwave continued to grip Europe, triggering health alerts across the region.

  • Blow for Thailand's government as court suspends PM from duty

    Thailand's Constitutional Court on Tuesday suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from duty pending a case seeking her dismissal, in a major setback for a government under fire on multiple fronts and fighting for its survival.

  • Trump signs order lifting sanctions on Syria, White House says

    President Donald Trump has signed an executive order terminating a US sanctions programme on Syria, allowing an end to the country's isolation from the international financial system and building on Washington's pledge to help it rebuild after a devastating civil war.

Blogs