Hundreds flee as heavy rain in northern Japan triggers floods and landslides

Heavy rain has triggered floods and landslides in Japan, forcing residents to take shelter on safer ground and leaving four people missing, including two police officers.

The rain had subsided in Yamagata and Akita prefectures by Friday, but the area was still at risk of flooding and landslides.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged people to “put safety first”.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said one person was missing on Thursday in Yuzawa city in Akita prefecture after being hit by a landslide at a road construction site.

In Akita city, rescuers were searching for an 86-year-old man whose bicycle and helmet were found floating by a river, media reports said.

Rescue workers in Yokote city evacuated 11 people from a flooded area with the help of a boat.

In Shinjo city in Yamagata prefecture, just south of Akita, two police officers were missing after reporting from a patrolling vehicle that they were being swept away by floodwaters.

A police vehicle half filled with water was found by the swollen river, the agency said.

Thirty-seven people were stranded at a flooded nursing home in the city.

More than 4in of rain fell in the hardest-hit Yuza and Sakata towns in Yamagata within an hour earlier on Thursday.

Thousands of residents have been advised to take shelter at higher and safer grounds, but it was not immediately known how many people took that advice.

Yamagata’s Shinkansen bullet train services were still partially suspended on Friday, according to East Japan Railway Company.

The Japan Meteorological Agency forecast up to 8in more rainfall in the region through Friday evening, urging residents to remain cautious.