At least 47 people were missing and five were in a critical condition as torrential rain that has killed 27 people pounds western and central Japan, public broadcaster NHK said on Saturday, with more than 1.6 million people evacuated from their homes. Television footage showed muddy water flowing out of rivers in parts of the region, including the scenic Arashiyama area in western Kyoto where riverbanks and streets were flooded. Some 210,000 people were in areas subjected to evacuation orders, though only some of them usually show up at shelters, especially at night when people are advised to stay indoors. In Hiroshima, nine people were missing after being buried underneath a mudslide Friday night, Kyodo News reported.
Heavy rain in Japan prompts the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people. At least 38 people have died in landslides.