Local politician missing following heavy rain in Japan

ANKARA

A local politician is missing following mudslides caused by heavy rain in the city of Nanto, facing the Sea of Japan, local media said on Thursday.

Since last night, the Ishikawa Prefecture recorded 199 millimeters (7.84 inches) of rainfall in six hours, while the Toyama Prefecture registered a downpour of 170.5 mm (6.7 in) in Kamiichi, another record high, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

Nobuhiko Akaike, a local member of the Nanto assembly, went missing in the area while urging local residents to flee as water from nearby rivers rose.

Police said they are searching for Nobuhiko as he may have been caught in a mudslide, as some 100 residents in neighboring Oyabe were cut off due to blocked roads.

The country’s meteorological agency also forecast further heavy rain in western Japan.

So far, seven people have died in various parts of the country in the ongoing torrential rains, according to local media.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid