Early Friday morning, a devastating landslide in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, left three people missing. 🌪️ The slope, approximately 50 meters wide and 100 meters high, collapsed around 4 a.m., sending mud cascading into nearby homes and an apartment building.
Authorities are tirelessly searching for the missing individuals as residents in the Shimizu district have been placed under a level-five evacuation alert—the highest level—prompting everyone to seek shelter in sturdy buildings or on upper floors. 🚨
Since Wednesday, Matsuyama has experienced 213 millimeters of rainfall, matching the monthly average for July, according to local records. The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned of continued heavy rain across western Japan, urging vigilance against potential landslides and flooding in low-lying areas. 🌧️
As the rainy-season front remains over the Pacific side of western to eastern Japan through Saturday, the atmospheric conditions are expected to stay unstable, heightening the risk of further natural disasters.
