Tokyo, Aug. 14 (SANA) Eight people were killed and thousands of travelers stranded at Tokyo’s Narita Airport after record rainfall triggered flooding across Japan’s Chiba prefecture, disrupting transport and cutting power to thousands of homes.
More than 360 mm of rain fell in 24 hours in parts of Chiba, neighboring Tokyo, flooding roads and railway lines during one of Japan’s busiest holiday periods. Soldiers were deployed to assist rescue operations, according to Reuters.
“This was an extremely exceptional situation,” Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai told reporters, adding that he had never experienced a disaster of this kind despite dealing with many emergencies in the past.
Japanese broadcaster NHK, citing local authorities and police, said one of the eight people killed was trapped inside a vehicle submerged by floodwaters.
At Narita Airport, transport disruptions left about 7,000 travelers stranded, with many spending Thursday night at the airport. Staff distributed sleeping bags, water and snacks to passengers.
Most flights were expected to operate normally Friday, an airport spokesperson said.
More than 20,000 homes remained without electricity early Friday after floodwaters inundated a power substation, while gas supplies were temporarily disrupted for about 13,000 customers, Tokyo Electric Power Company said.
Hundreds of people in Chiba city, one of the hardest-hit areas, spent the night in government buildings being used as temporary evacuation centers.
Some major roads were closed and several railway services suspended, although some train services between Narita and Tokyo later resumed.
Weather authorities said Chiba recorded 367 mm of rain in 24 hours, surpassing the previous record of 309 mm set in October 2013.
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