Publication Date July 9, 2018 | BBC News

At least 100 dead in record Japan floods

Japan
Tens of thousands of rescuers, including police and soldiers, are taking part in search operations. Photo: Reuters
Tens of thousands of rescuers, including police and soldiers, are taking part in search operations. Photo: Reuters

At least 100 people are thought to have died after record rainfall caused flooding and landslides in western Japan, a government spokesman says.

Dozens more are reported to be missing and electricity supplies have been hit.

Since Thursday, parts of western Japan have received three times the usual rainfall for the whole of July. Two million people have been ordered to evacuate as rivers burst their banks.

"We've never experienced this kind of rain before," a weather official said.

Rescuers restarted their search through the mud for any survivors or the bodies of those killed on Monday morning.

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The heavy rains began with a typhoon last week that was followed by days of record-breaking torrential rain.

In the town of Motoyama, on Shikoku island, 583mm (23in) of rain fell between Friday morning and Saturday morning.