Over 1,000 military and civilian rescue personnel, including firefighters and paramedics, were scrambling through a deluge of mud and debris in Atami on Sunday, a day after a colossal mudslide ripped through the small Japanese town.
Two people were confirmed dead and about 130 houses have been damaged in the town of about 20,000 dwellings in Shizuoka prefecture, 90 kilometres south-west of Tokyo.
Around 80 homes have been buried, according to the local Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
The death toll was unchanged since the disaster struck on Saturday morning and the number of unaccounted for was also the same at 20, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters. Nineteen people have been rescued.
“There is a possibility of heavy rain due to the rain front, so we still need to be alert at the maximum level. Arduous rescue efforts will continue,” Mr Suga said, warning residents to watch out for more landslides. “Please act as quickly as you can to stay safe.”
Authorities deployed six drones to assist in the search, which was being hampered by poor weather and thick fog.
On the morning before the disaster, Japan’s National Meteorological Agency issued a Level Five warning -- the most severe kind -- telling residents to evacuate their homes in vulnerable areas.
Level Five warnings stipulate that the public “should make every effort to save themselves”.
"Because of the heavy rain, the ground loosened and the mudslide occurred … it picked up speed and swept away houses together with people," said Shizuoka Governor Heita Kawakatsu, speaking at a press conference.
The town experienced a deluge of rainfall in the days preceding the disaster, 313 millimetres in 48 hours, well above the monthly average at this time of year of 242.5 millimetres.
Like many others, Mariko Hattori, an interpreter who lives a short walk away from where the tsunami-like torrent of mud struck, at first did not know what had happened.
“The first things I noticed were lots of emergency vehicles. I didn’t know what happened at first,” she said. “Then I was frightened when I saw the footage.”
Witnesses said they heard a giant roar and then watched helplessly as homes were consumed by the mud waves.
The two people confirmed dead, both women, had been swept to the sea and were found by the coast guard, said Tatsushi Ueda, a Shizuoka prefecture official in charge of disaster prevention.
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi
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Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
