Japan floods: Toll rises to 100, over 60 still unaccounted for in worst-hit Hiroshima

[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“940”] Rescuers were hard at work on Monday searching for the dozens still missing in southwestern Japan after heavy rain. The torrential downpour triggered flash floods and landslides across central and western parts of the country, prompting evacuation orders for more than two million people. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_4696541” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] At least 100 people were killed or are presumed dead, with more than 60 still unaccounted for, most of them in the hardest-hit Hiroshima area. AP[/caption] [caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“940”] Several homes were smashed in the heavy showers, while others were left precariously tilted. Rivers overflowed, turning towns into lakes and leaving dozens of people stranded on rooftops. The floodwaters were so powerful that they stripped layers from the walls of homes, leaving the ground floor virtually unrecognisable. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_4696561” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] Elderly people from a nursing home take shelter after heavy rain in Soja in Okayama prefecture, western Japan. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_4696571” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] Authorities warned of landslides even after the rain subsides, as the calamity had shaped up to be potentially the worst in decades. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_4696581” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] Rescuers conduct a search operation for missing persons in Kumano town in West Japan’s Hiroshima prefecture. Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Monday that 87 people were confirmed dead and 13 were without vital signs when they were found. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_4696591” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] A landslide derailed a train after heavy rain in Karastu, Southwestern Japan. Reuters[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_4696601” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] The Japanese government set up an emergency task force over the weekend and has sent troops, firefighters, police and other disaster relief. People have also taken to social media to plead for help. Reuters[/caption]