As a stalled seasonal front dumps deadly amounts of rain on Japan, nearly 3.6 million residents have been asked to evacuate their homes in recent days. Areas are completely cut off after roads were washed out, and as of yesterday, 14 people were still missing according to the Associated Press.
Flooding and mudslides have left tourists and residents stranded. Parts of a highway were swept away and collapsed in the areas around Nagano and Gifu.
Tens of thousands of soldiers and other rescue workers continued to dig through mud and debris Wednesday looking for missing people and pulling residents from flooded homes across Southwestern Japan.
Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is in the process of declaring an “extraordinary disaster” that will enable victims to receive support to rebuild their lives.
Around 3,000 homes in Kumamoto and neighboring prefectures are without running water and thousands more have no electricity, the welfare ministry said.
More heavy rainfall and flooding expected into the weekend.
