At least five people have died in eastern Japan after unprecedented heavy rainfall disrupted transport, flooded homes and left thousands of passengers stranded at Narita airport, authorities said on Friday.
The torrential rain that struck late Thursday triggered landslide warnings and widespread power outages. Forecasters issued the highest-level heavy rain warning for Chiba prefecture for the first time.
In rural areas of Chiba, more than a dozen vehicles were abandoned on flooded, low-lying roads, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.
At Narita airport, thousands of passengers were forced to spend the night inside terminals, with sleeping bags distributed as long queues formed for check-in.
One British traveller, identified as Philip, told AFP that it took him nine hours, including a taxi journey, to reach the airport early Friday.
With a sleeping bag in hand, he said he had “just been trying to get some sleep and watching Netflix”.
“Just get on with it, really. Nothing else you can do,” he added.
Five confirmed dead
At a disaster management meeting in Chiba on Friday afternoon, an official confirmed that five people had died.
Authorities said those killed included a man believed to be in his 60s or 70s who was found floating in floodwater and a 66-year-old woman who became trapped inside her submerged vehicle.
Other victims included a man of unknown age who was found collapsed on a street and another person whose age and gender had not been determined.
Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported that the death toll could rise to eight.
The heavy rainfall also caused significant damage across Chiba. Nearly 26,000 households were without electricity, while more than 80 homes were flooded in areas including Ichikawa, Kashiwa and Sakura. Water also entered nearly 90 additional homes beneath their floorboards.
One stranded passenger told NHK:
“I never thought I’d spend the night at the airport, but it is what it is and we are learning,”
“We’re never going to forget this trip,” the traveller added.
Thousands stranded as transport collapses
The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that the rainfall was reaching an “unprecedented level”.
Around 6,000 passengers were stranded overnight at Narita airport, one of the two major airports serving Tokyo. Numerous train services to and from the airport were suspended until Friday afternoon, according to the Chiba disaster management office.
Social media users reported that airport authorities provided stranded passengers with free food, water and sleeping bags.
Hundreds of other passengers were also stranded at Chiba station after train services were suspended. Shelters were opened across the prefecture, with NHK reporting that hundreds of people spent the night there.
Footage from Kashiwa showed vehicles partially submerged in floodwater, with water reaching the level of their headlights.
A woman from Ichikawa described how suddenly the situation developed and expressed concern about the impact of the power outage on her business.
“This happened all of a sudden, so it was a complete surprise. The power is out, so I’m worried whether I can open my business in the next couple of days,” she told NHK.
The highest level-5 heavy rain warnings were downgraded to level-4 by Friday morning.
Scientists have warned that human-driven climate change is contributing to more frequent, longer-lasting and more intense extreme weather events.
