Kumamota, JPN – A torrential mudslide has left the Kumamoto region hampered from any form of rescue as the heavy rains caused powerful floods to erode at the earth that has hit an elderly home facilities that was rumored to have killed a dozen and trapping scores of people in the midst of adverse weather conditions.
Rescue units from helicopters to boats were deployed to the region with a contingent of 40,000 troops, fire brigades and coast guards to help assist in the rescues. Many vehicles, homes and even parts of the Kuma river were engulfed by the massive mudslide that stranded people of the roofs or second story of their houses.
Hypothermia was a prevalent problem with 3 people suffering the effects as rescuers on boats went to rescue as many as 51 residents, from 65 residents, 30 of which were caregivers living near the elder home where presumably 14 had died.
A total of 34 were confirmed dead , 16 from the nursing homes while 14 more were missing as the rescue teams can not search thoroughly while many others still await rescue, the fire disaster management agency reiterated.
Hitoyoshi City was ravaged by a powerful flood that placed most of the houses on the first floor completely destroyed with many people running for higher ground.
The aftermath of the deluge left many vehicles, vending machines scattered all over the roads mud-cakes while some people started to clean their houses and taking out the dirtied and damaged furniture to clean them off as the floods eased away.
An earlier warning by the Prefecture officials of possible mudslides came as the rains that poured on the city that had cut out the electricity in nearly 6,000 homes while 200,000 residents were urged to evacuate but the evacuation was not mandatory. Saturday. The evacuation was not mandatory and many people opted to stay home because of concerns over catching corona virus, even though officials say shelters are adequately equipped with partitions and other safety measures.
“The water rose to the second floor so fast and I just couldn’t stop shivering,” a 55-year-old woman who had been visiting her relative described.
She and her relatives ran upstairs, exited the house through a window and swam up to the roof as they had to wait for any rescue during the frightening floods.
