Rescue workers were going door-to-door, looking for survivors or victims of the disaster.Abe canceled a planned trip to Europe and the Middle East this week to oversee the emergency response.
TOKYO: Japanese PM Shinzo Abe is currently in Okayama inspecting the extent of the damage.The toll in record rains that have devastated parts of Japan has risen to 178, the government’s top spokesman said Wednesday.
Tens of thousands of rescue and recovery workers and volunteers dug through the debris, as the search for dozens still missing enters its fifth day.Most of the deaths were in Hiroshima and the surrounding area.
Thousands of people remain in shelters, and local authorities in some areas were offering drinking water and bathing services for those without their own supply.
Thousands of homes were still without clean water and electricity. Residents lined up for water under a scorching sun as temperatures rose to 35 Celsius, raising the risk of heat stroke.
More than 70,000 rescue workers, including the fire service and the army, are currently involved in relief efforts.The death toll in Japan is the highest from a flood in more than three decades.
The most extreme rainfall and flooding concentrated in southwestern Japan in the Okayama prefecture and around Hiroshima.
