Support NeoGAF

[InfiniteBento]

"TOKYO —
Huge landslides in Hiroshima killed at least 36 people and left rescuers scrambling to find another seven still missing, authorities said Wednesday, after a wall of mud smashed into their homes.

Dozens of houses were buried when hillsides collapsed after torrential downpours in Hiroshima, television pictures showed, leaving rescuers to pick through the devastation for any signs of life.

A spokesman for Hiroshima Police told AFP the death toll was still climbing.

“The figures may change as the rescue efforts continue,” he warned.

The number of dead had risen rapidly from an initial four, which included a two-year-old boy.

Among the dead was a 53-year-old rescuer, who was killed by a secondary landslide after he had pulled five people to safety, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.

Aerial footage showed several houses buried in thick slurry, their wooden frames splintered by the weight of the mud.

Torrents of brown water raced off the mountains behind the homes and through the wrecked buildings, hampering rescuers’ efforts as they searched for anyone still trapped.

Emergency workers were seen climbing up to the second floor and roofs of half-collapsed houses—some of which were floating—to try to reach any survivors.

Pictures showed there had been at least five different landslides. Some uprooted trees and carried rocks down the hillside into the tightly-packed houses that sit on the edge of a commuter belt, in an area where town gives way to farmland."

Article found here - JapanToday

 

[xxracerxx]

Aww man, that is a bad slide.

 

[BronsonLee]

Oh god, that looks horrific. Five different landslides? Goddamn.

Kudos to the rescuer who died after saving 5 people. That man is a hero.

 

[CrankyJay]

Has it been raining a lot in that region lately?

 

[Mariolee]

Terrible, my heart goes out to the families who lost their loved ones and my prayers go out to those who are missing.

 

[CMojicaAce]

Man, right where all the houses are . My condolences to those affected by this.

 

[InfiniteBento]

Has it been raining a lot in that region lately?

It seems so based on the article:

Dozens of houses were buried when hillsides collapsed after torrential downpours in Hiroshima, television pictures showed, leaving rescuers to pick through the devastation for any signs of life.

 

[FullMetaltech]

Ah man. So sad to hear. My prayers and thoughts to the peope there.

 

[YesNOnoNOYes]

Wow, crazy scale of landslide !

RIP

Hope more survivors are found, but chances are not likely at this stage. My respects for the rescuers!

I think weather-wise it's rainy season over there, but ... yeah, idk... that wouldn't explain that scale of landslides...

 

[Tesseract]

surprised there's no protection, rip to the dead

 

[sfedai0]

Ugh, these pics bring back terrible flashbacks from the tsunami.

 

[greenleaves]

The recent typhoons must have loosened up the soil. I give my condolences to the families of the deceased.

 

[Zukuu]

It's scary how much force water, landslides, snow, wind, lightning etc have. Nature sure can fuck you up at any time. Condolences to all the families. =/

 

[sleverfunk]

Oh wow that place looks scary.

 

[Koppai]

My heart is with the people affected by this. Hope things don't get any worse.

 

[Sakura]

Very sad to hear this

 

[InfiniteBento]

Update:

The Hiroshima Prefectural Government has requested the aid of the Ground Self-Defense Forces for rescue operations and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has instructed government bodies to make all-out efforts to rescue those affected, said The Japan Times.
The landslides occurred after heavy rain soaked the area on Tuesday into Wednesday.
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that 217.5 mm (8.54 inches) of rain fell in just a three-hour period, 101.0 mm (3.98 inches) of which fell in just one hour.
This substantial amount of rain set a new all-time record in Hiroshima for the amount of rain in a three-hour period, more than doubling the old record of 101 mm set on Aug. 5, 1997.
A new 24-hour rainfall record was also set for Hiroshima with 257 mm (10.12 inches) breaking the old record of 234 mm (9.21 inches) set on July 3, 1995.

Source

 

[HK-47]

Thanks for the update bento

 

[Valkerionseven]

Last updates on the news this morning was that there are a handful of people still missing, at least 7 last I checked. Also more rain in the forecast :/

 

[bomma_man]

Fuck was only there last month. RIP.

 

[InfiniteBento]

Another update on the situation in Hiroshima:

39 now confirmed dead.

At least 39 people, including at least three children, have been confirmed dead after a series of at least 31 landslides struck Hiroshima, Japan, in the pre-dawn hours Wednesday. Efforts to rescue the missing and trapped continued as the sun rose on the city of 1.1 million residents on Thursday.

Seven others remain missing, according to the Japan Times. The landslides happened in the city's Asaminami and Asakita wards between 3:20 and 4 a.m. local time Wednesday. The Japanese government's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said landslides and debris flows had been confirmed in at least 31 locations spread across five different neighborhoods in the city, according to public broadcaster NHK.

The broadcast organization also pinpointed at least 20 locations in Hiroshima city where people were stranded or trapped. Some 65,000 residents were advised to evacuate because of the continued risk of floods and landslides. Schools have been turned into shelters for evacuees, according to the city government's website.

Fuji TV said some 1,100 residents were unable to return to their homes Wednesday night and slept in shelters.

http://www.weather.com/news/hiroshima-japan-landslides-20140820

 

[midramble]

I was literally thinking of buying a place near there last month...

 

[Wings 嫩翼翻せ]

Man. Prayers go out. Nature is powerful.