Emergency Heavy Rain Warning Issued in Chiba

Tokyo, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Meteorological Agency issued an emergency heavy rain warning for 16 cities in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, on Thursday evening. The cities are Chiba, Ichihara, Sakura, Yotsukaido, Yachimata, Inzai, Shiroi, Ichikawa, Funabashi, Matsudo, Narashino, Kashiwa, Yachiyo, Abiko, Kamagaya and Togane. Additionally, an emergency landslide warning was issued for Chiba and Ichihara at 9:55 p.m. According to the fire department of Kashiwa, an elderly woman is in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest after being trapped in a car on a flooded road. In Ichikawa, a man believed to be in his 60s was found unconscious and taken to a hospital after an emergency call reported a man floating on a flooded road at around 6:55 p.m. At a press conference, Takuya Hosomi, head of the agency’s weather forecast division, said, “It is highly likely that some sort of disaster has already occurred.” The official urged people in the affected areas to ensure their safety immediately. In response to the heavy rain, the government set up a liaison office at the Prime Minister’s Office Crisis Management Center. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]