Six dead after record rain and floods in Japan

Six people were killed and ten others are missing after record rainfall caused flooding and landslides in parts of Japan's Ishikawa prefecture.

The cities of Wajima and Suzu, still recovering from the devastating earthquake that struck the region on January 1, are among those worst hit by the flooding, which began on Saturday and is expected to last until noon on Monday.

On Sunday, both cities experienced twice the rainfall of an average September, local media reported.

Dozens of rivers overflowed their banks, cutting off roads and isolating more than 100 communities across the prefecture, the reports said.

Two of the dead were found near a tunnel destroyed by a landslide in Wajima. One of them was a construction worker carrying out road repair work.

Among the other fatalities were two elderly men and an elderly woman, the Japan Times reported, citing local authorities.

Japan's weather agency issued the highest “life-threatening” warning level for Ishikawa on Saturday and downgraded it to a normal warning on Sunday, but authorities have urged continued vigilance as torrential rain is expected to continue until at least midday on Monday.

The floods inundated makeshift shelters for people who lost their homes in the New Year's Day earthquake. NHK footage showed an entire street in Wajima under water.

The region is still recovering from the powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake in January that killed at least 236 people, caused buildings to collapse and sparked a major fire.

According to the Hokuriku Electric Power Company, about 4,000 households were without power on Monday.

More than 40,000 residents in four towns in Ishikawa – including Wajima, Suzu and the city of Noto – were evacuated over the weekend.

Another 16,000 residents in Niigata and Yamagata prefectures north of Ishikawa were also ordered to evacuate, AFP news agency reported.