Torrential Rain Leaves 5 Dead and 7,000 Stranded at Airport

[Anchor]

Heavy rain pounded Chiba Prefecture in Japan from yesterday evening (August 13) through early this morning, leaving five people dead and causing massive power outages. About 7,000 people were forced to spend the night at Narita International Airport, with damages continuing to mount.

Correspondent Mun Junmo reports from Tokyo.

[Reporter]

Rainwater surges down roads like a rushing river.

People try to push a stranded car from behind, but it refuses to budge.

["It's no use, no use."]

Water pours into a stalled bus.

Water pillars shoot out from manholes, and waterfalls cascade into subway stations.

[Office Worker: "I can't risk trying to drive back, so I'm just going to wait it out at the office."]

Record-breaking torrential rain battered Chiba Prefecture yesterday evening, prompting the highest-level heavy rain special warnings to be issued for over 20 local municipalities within the prefecture.

Chiba City received 348 mm of rain over a 12-hour period until early this morning, marking three times its average total precipitation for the month of August.

In several areas, hourly precipitation exceeded 100 mm.

At one point, over 40,000 households suffered power outages, and homes were flooded one after another.

Casualties were also reported.

In Kashiwa, one of two women trapped inside a vehicle by rapidly rising water died, while in Ichikawa, a man in his 60s was found unconscious on a flooded road and later died after being rushed to the hospital, bringing the total death toll to five.

With train and bus services disrupted, about 7,000 people had to spend the night at Narita International Airport.

Additionally, 1,800 citizens stranded during their evening commutes spent the night at the Chiba Prefectural Government building.

The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that fierce downpours could continue to batter some regions into the afternoon, urging people to stay vigilant against potential landslides, overflowing rivers, and flooding in low-lying areas.

(Video taken by Mun Hyun-jin | Video edited by Kim Byung-jik | Design by Park Hye-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.