Death toll from Japan’s Chiba downpour rises to 13

The body of a man in his 60s was newly discovered in the city of Ichihara, while two men, one in his 60s and the other in his 80s, were found dead in the prefectural capital city of Chiba.

According to the headquarters, one person remains missing, while two suffered serious injuries and 35 sustained minor injuries. Authorities suspect that the man found dead in Ichihara may be the missing person, and work is underway to confirm his identity.

Meanwhile, a total of 2,314 homes suffered flooding above or below floor level. The number of houses destroyed or severely damaged came to 17, while 49 houses were partially damaged. Many vehicles are left behind in the torrential rain and subsequent flooding, including some 600 on major roads.

To promote the removal of such vehicles, the prefectural government on Tuesday held the first meeting of a team established jointly with the central government, the Chiba city government and towing companies, with participants agreeing that identifying the vehicle owners and confirming their intentions regarding what to do with their vehicles are the biggest issue.

Earlier, it was reported that the death toll from record rainfall in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, had reached 10.