Japan floods: 11 missing, 500,000 to evacuate. Torrential rain in Fukuoka and Oita

Almost 500,000 people have been ordered or advised to evacuate their homes in south-west Japan after torrential rain triggered widespread flooding.

Key points:

• At least 11 people missing, including a child
• 774 millimetres of rain falls in parts of Fukuoka prefecture in nine hours
• 7,500 rescuers sent to the area

Landslides were reported in several areas, and one man was dug out from the mud without signs of life, public broadcaster NHK said.

At least 11 people were missing or could not be reached, including a child, and many more were stranded and calling for help across areas of Fukuoka and Oita prefectures on the Japanese island of Kyushu.

Children and teachers at a school were among those cut off by the floodwaters.

Source: Japan floods: 11 missing, 500,000 to evacuate after days of torrential rain in Fukuoka and Oita – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)