Tokyo:
More than 5,000 people were cut off by landslides on Sunday as more heavy rain and floods were forecast in southwestern Japan, where the death toll from torrential downpours rose to 22.
Television footage showed troops loading relief material such as food, water and medical supplies into military helicopters to send them to mountainous areas in Yame, Fukuoka prefecture in northern Kyushu island.
Local authorities were separately dispatching rescue helicopters to take patients and elderly villagers to hospital from the isolated area, where at least one person was killed, officials said.
More than 5,440 people have been shut away since late on Saturday as landslides and fallen trees have cut roads and water supplies in the region, where unprecedented rainfall has fallen since Wednesday.
"We will continue sending emergency ration to people there as it is still unknown when we can secure access to the area," said Kayo Shinohara, a spokeswoman for Yame City government.
"We are trying to do our best to remove rubble as soon as possible," the spokeswoman told AFP by phone.
Rescue operations resumed early on Sunday in other affected areas in Kyushu, where at least eight people were still missing after a total of 22 people were confirmed dead in the landslides or floods, officials said.
Public broadcaster NHK showed rescuers continuing their search, using heavy machinery to remove uprooted trees, boulders and debris, while residents were scooping mud out of houses with shovels.
Some 3,600 people remained ordered or advised to leave their homes in southwest Japan, NHK said, after local authorities lifted similar advice to some 400,000 others by Sunday morning.
The weather eased somewhat today bringing temporary relief, but the Japan Meteorological Agency warned of more heavy rain, landslides and floods on the main southern island of Kyushu.
"A peak of heavy rain in northern Kyushu has passed, but there is fear that driving rain with thunder may hit northern Kyushu as warm and humid air is flowing to the rain front," the agency said.
"Please be vigilant of damage from landslides and floods as part of the ground has already softened and water is still overflowing from rivers because of record rainfalls," it said.
Television footage showed troops loading relief material such as food, water and medical supplies into military helicopters to send them to mountainous areas in Yame, Fukuoka prefecture in northern Kyushu island.
Local authorities were separately dispatching rescue helicopters to take patients and elderly villagers to hospital from the isolated area, where at least one person was killed, officials said.
More than 5,440 people have been shut away since late on Saturday as landslides and fallen trees have cut roads and water supplies in the region, where unprecedented rainfall has fallen since Wednesday.
"We will continue sending emergency ration to people there as it is still unknown when we can secure access to the area," said Kayo Shinohara, a spokeswoman for Yame City government.
"We are trying to do our best to remove rubble as soon as possible," the spokeswoman told AFP by phone.
Rescue operations resumed early on Sunday in other affected areas in Kyushu, where at least eight people were still missing after a total of 22 people were confirmed dead in the landslides or floods, officials said.
Public broadcaster NHK showed rescuers continuing their search, using heavy machinery to remove uprooted trees, boulders and debris, while residents were scooping mud out of houses with shovels.
Some 3,600 people remained ordered or advised to leave their homes in southwest Japan, NHK said, after local authorities lifted similar advice to some 400,000 others by Sunday morning.
The weather eased somewhat today bringing temporary relief, but the Japan Meteorological Agency warned of more heavy rain, landslides and floods on the main southern island of Kyushu.
"A peak of heavy rain in northern Kyushu has passed, but there is fear that driving rain with thunder may hit northern Kyushu as warm and humid air is flowing to the rain front," the agency said.
"Please be vigilant of damage from landslides and floods as part of the ground has already softened and water is still overflowing from rivers because of record rainfalls," it said.
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