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AMN/ WEB DESK

One person has died and seven others are missing after torrential rains caused floods and landslides in the Ishikawa region of northern Japan.

The local authorities reported that the deceased were swept away by rivers in Suzu, Wajima, and Noto municipalities. Moreover, nearly 40,000 people have been ordered to evacuate after weather forecasters warned of major flooding in the region. About 18,000 people in the city of Wajima and another 12,000 in Suzu have been told to seek shelter in safe zones of Ishikawa Prefecture, on Honshu Island.

Earlier, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued its life-threatening alert for torrential rain in the Ishikawa region, which is expected to last until tomorrow afternoon. 12 rivers in the region have breached their banks. Mudslide alerts have also been issued for parts of Ishikawa, Yamagata, and Niigata Prefectures.