Rainfall death toll rises to 11 in Japan’s Ishikawa

TOKYO, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) — The death toll from the record-breaking rainfall in Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture last weekend has risen to 11 after three more deaths were confirmed on Wednesday, local media reported.
A woman was confirmed dead on Wednesday after being found near a river and two men were found dead along the coast in Wajima city later on the day, according to public broadcaster NHK.
This brings the total number of deaths confirmed as a result of the heavy rain to 11, nine in Wajima city and two in Suzu city.
Authorities have also reported that two people in Suzu and Noto were still missing while several others in Wajima remained unreachable.
Search efforts are still ongoing to locate the missing residents.
Record-breaking torrential rain pounded Ishikawa from Sept. 21 to 22, a region still reeling from a major earthquake at the start of the year.
Severe flooding and landslides have caused extensive damage in the aftermath of the rainfall, with authorities calling for continued vigilance. ■