Heavy rains in the earthquake area of ​​Noto leave one dead, three missing

Authorities issued a special severe weather warning for the northern Noto district of Ishikawa Prefecture on September 21, followed by reports of one dead, three missing and two seriously injured.

This is the highest of five warning levels.

Japan's Meteorological Agency said record-breaking rainfall had been recorded across the peninsula, which is still reeling from the aftermath of a magnitude 7.6 earthquake on New Year's Day that left hundreds of people homeless.

Municipal fire department officials in the Okunoto area said cliffs collapsed in Wajima, burying two people alive.

According to authorities, contact with four workers involved in tunnel restoration work in Wajima has been lost.

Emergency shelters for earthquake victims were also flooded above ground level and the fire brigade received numerous emergency calls, according to the reconstruction office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in Noto.

Special severe weather warnings were issued for the cities of Wajima, Suzu and Noto. The 24-hour rainfall totals up to 4 p.m. on September 21 were 351.0 millimeters in Wajima and 257.0 millimeters in Suzu. Both figures represent the heaviest rainfall since 1976.

According to the Fire and Disaster Prevention Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as of 12:30 p.m. on September 21, evacuation orders had been issued for a total of 49,896 people: 33,700 in Ishikawa Prefecture, 14,733 in Yamagata Prefecture and 1,463 in Niigata Prefecture.