Chiba Downpour Death Toll Rises to 13

Chiba, Aug. 18 (Jiji Press)–The death toll from Thursday’s record-breaking rain in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, has risen to 13, the prefectural government’s disaster response headquarters said Tuesday. The body of a man in his 60s was newly discovered in the city of Ichihara, while two men, one in his 60s and the other in his 80s, were found dead in the prefectural capital city of Chiba. According to the headquarters, one person remains missing, while two suffered serious injuries and 35 sustained minor injuries. Authorities suspect that the man found dead in Ichihara may be the missing person, and work is underway to confirm his identity. Meanwhile, a total of 2,314 homes suffered flooding above or below floor level. The number of houses destroyed or severely damaged came to 17, while 49 houses were partially damaged. Many vehicles are left behind in the torrential rain and subsequent flooding, including some 600 on major roads. To promote the removal of such vehicles, the prefectural government on Tuesday held the first meeting of a team established jointly with the central government, the Chiba city government and towing companies, with participants agreeing that identifying the vehicle owners and confirming their intentions regarding what to do with their vehicles are the biggest issue. According to the Chiba city government, all of some 200 vehicles remaining on major roads in the prefectural capital are expected to be removed Wednesday. Work to remove vehicles that have been moved to the edges of residential roads may be finished also Wednesday, city officials said. Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai inspected the city of Oamishirasato in the prefecture Tuesday. Many areas in the city were flooded due to the torrential rain. “We will steadily work on removing vehicles left on roads, starting in areas with high priority,” he said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]