A coastal region of Japan that is still recuperating from a severe earthquake on New Year’s Day has seen disastrous flooding and landslides due to record rains.
The Ishikawa prefecture was under an urgent emergency alert on Saturday, according to Japan’s weather agency, which also advised locals to take extra safety precautions since the area is expected to have its worst rainfall on record. Public broadcaster NHK said that 16 local rivers overflowed their banks due to the intense rainfall.
According to NHK, which cited local authorities, at least six people were killed, others are missing, and tens of thousands of residents were forced to flee. According to NHK, a landslide in Suzu claimed the life of one individual whose house was destroyed.
According to NHK, two women were discovered dead in a house that had also been damaged by landslides, and two bodies were discovered close to a tunnel in the city of Wajima.
The storm also cut power to more than 6,200 households, authorities said.Ishikawa endured destruction and misery on January 1, when a powerful 7.5 magnitude quake struck the Noto peninsula, killing hundreds of people and causing widespread destruction
.Temporary housing built for people who lost their homes in the quake was surrounded by several feet of murky floodwater on the weekend, photos showed. Earthquakes make soil unstable and prone to further landslides, especially after heavy rains.