Rescuers comb riverbanks after Japan floods, landslides kill 7

Rescuers combed the debris-strewn banks of a river in central Japan on Sept 23, searching for victims after homes were swept away in flooding and landslides that claimed at least seven lives.

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The river on the Noto Peninsula – an area still reeling from a devastating earthquake in January – overflowed at the weekend, becoming a muddy torrent that inundated roads and a remote hamlet. After the skies finally cleared, police and firefighters from across Japan were joined by residents and the father of a 14-year-old girl who is one of seven people still missing or whose status remains unknown.

The number of deaths reached seven, with one severely injured and 11 mildly injured as at Sept 23 afternoon, Ishikawa prefecture said on its website.

Rain pounded the region from Sept 21, with more than 540mm recorded in the city of Wajima over 72 hours, the heaviest continuous rain since comparative data became available.