Over 80 feared dead in Japan’s Hiroshima landslideAugust 22, 2014 - 12:24 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Heavy rain delayed a search on Friday, August 22 for more than 50 people believed buried under a deadly landslide on the edge of the Japanese city of Hiroshima, as opposition politicians rounded on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his handling of the disaster, according to Reuters. Rescue workers feared the continuing rain could set off further landslides in the area after a month's worth of rain fell in one night on Wednesday, loosening slopes already saturated by heavy rain over the past few weeks. The death toll currently stands at 39. Abe has been criticized by the opposition for playing several rounds of golf on the day of the disaster before breaking it off to rush back to Tokyo. Critics have also slammed his returning to his vacation villa afterwards. Among those killed were two brothers, aged 11 and 2, and a firefighter who was engulfed by mud as he was carrying a toddler to safety. The child also perished. "There was a really strange smell, a very raw, earthy smell. When we opened a window to see what was going on, the entire hillside just came down, with a crackling noise, a thundering noise," one woman told Fuji television. She and her husband fled just before their house filled with mud, leaving 5 meter boulders where they had been sleeping. About 240 mm (9 inches) of rain fell in the area about 3 km from the center of the city in the 24 hours up to Wednesday morning, the Meterological Agency said. Roughly half of that rain fell in one hour. Cities in land-scarce Japan often expand into mountainous areas, with houses tucked just below steep slopes, leaving them vulnerable to landslides. Photo: Kyodo Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Armenian, Saudi Foreign Minister meet in Riyadh The two commended the positive dynamics of the development of political dialogue between Armenia and Saudi Arabia Pashinyan: Azerbaijan’s proximity shouldn’t worry border residents At the same time, he said that he “does not guarantee [the security of villagers] one hundred percent”. U.S. doesn’t see Russia as contributing to peace in Caucasus Patel made the remarks when asked about the implications of Russia’s withdrawal of peacekeepers from Karabakh. Up to 1% cashback when shopping on Wildberries with IDBank cards IDBank is launching an exclusive campaign on Wildberries for online shopping enthusiasts. |