JAPAN – Japanese authorities have told tens of thousands of people to evacuate the earthquake-hit region of Ishikawa as “unprecedented” rains triggered floods and mudslides. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) on Saturday issued its highest alert level for Ishikawa and public broadcaster NHK reported that two people were reported missing in the prefecture’s Wajima city due to the flooding.

The fire department reported receiving several rescue calls in the cities of Wajima and Suzu, in central Japan’s Noto peninsula, which were among the areas hardest hit by a New Year’s Day earthquake that killed at least 236 people. About 44,700 people have already been ordered to evacuate in Wajima and Suzu, as well as Noto town, officials said.

JMA forecaster Satoshi Sugimoto told reporters that the areas under the warning were seeing “heavy rain of unprecedented levels”, adding “it is a situation in which you have to secure your safety immediately.” Another 16,000 residents in Niigata and Yamagata prefectures north of Ishikawa were also told to evacuate, the agency said. (Aljazeera)…[+]