Death toll increases up to 64 due to torrential rains in Japan

Reuters - The death toll from unprecedented rains in Japan rose to at least 64 on Sunday (July 8) after rivers burst their banks and forced several million people from their homes, media reports said, with more rain set to hit some areas for at least another day. Twitter user @raata_s660 shared with Reuters, a series of photographs, showing the progression of flood waters rising near his home from 7 am to 12-noon local time (2200 GMT to 0300 GMT) on Saturday (July 7). Torrential rains pounded some parts of western Japan with three times the usual precipitation for a normal July and set off landslides and sent rivers surging over their banks, trapping many people in their houses or on rooftops. Evacuation orders remained in place for some 2 million people and another 2.3 million were advised to evacuate, although the rain had stopped and floodwaters receded in some areas. Landslide warnings were issued in more than a quarter of the nation's prefectures.