Landslide disaster: 41 dead, 47 missing, 2557 evacuated
This is a translation of a Chugoku Shinbun article summing up the state of the search and rescue effort in the landslide disaster areas as of late Friday, August 22.
Two more victims of the Hiroshima landslide disaster were discovered on Friday, August 22, taking the death toll to 41. Three days after the disaster police and SDF forces continued search operations in difficult circumstances. Due to concern about further landslides caused by intermittent rain that continued throughout the day, 2257 people had evacuated their homes as of 8pm.
Search operations which had been halted due to rain during the night resumed on Friday morning. Around 2700 rescue workers deployed to the Yagi and Midorii areas of Asa-minami-ku worked between outbreaks of rain throughout the day, and with the 72 hours since the disaster mark (after which the chance of finding survivors drops dramatically) approaching, they prepared to work through the night.
According to Hiroshima police, one of the bodies found was that of an man who appeared to be in his 80s. His body was discovered 20kms away from the disaster sites, in the Kyobashi River in Nishi-hirazuka. The body of a woman yet to be identified was also discovered in Yagi on Friday night.
3 more of the bodies so far recovered were identified, including that of a 17 year old high school student, leaving 7 of the 41 victims so far discovered yet to be identified.
During Thursday night the number of those “missing” dropped from 51 to 47 after people were found to have been hospitalized (unclear how many, but relatively happy news) and remains identified.
As of 6pm, August 22
- Severely injured 16
- Light injuries 11
- Completely destroyed houses 19
- Half destroyed houses 31
- Partly damaged houses 40
- Flooded (over floor) properties 59
- Flooded (over floor) properties 139
