---
title: "Heavy rain in southern Japan leaves up to six dead, three missing"
description: "TOKYO, July 11 (Reuters) - Torrential rain over Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu triggered floods and landslides that left up to six people dead and rescuers searching for three missing, officials said on Tuesday."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-07-11-heavy-rain-in-southern-japan-leaves-up-to-six-dead-3-missing/"
published: "2023-07-11T04:55:35"
updated: "2023-07-11T05:57:22"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 142
---

# Heavy rain in southern Japan leaves up to six dead, three missing

> TOKYO, July 11 (Reuters) - Torrential rain over Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu triggered floods and landslides that left up to six people dead and rescuers searching for three missing, officials said on Tuesday.

By Reuters · Published 11 July 2023, 06:55 SAST · Updated 11 July 2023, 07:57 SAST

## Key points
- Heavy rains in Japan have caused three deaths, three missing persons and two injuries, with Bridgestone factories temporarily suspending operations; a sobering reminder of the increasing risks climate change poses.
- Japan downgraded warnings for heavy rain, but urged caution.
- Unusually heavy rains raise new fears of climate change.
- Three deaths, three missing and two lightly injured reported.
- Bridgestone resumes operations at four factories on Kyushu.

## Content

The Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded the special warnings for heavy rains, issued on Monday for northern parts of the island, to lower-level warnings and advisories, but urged residents to stay alert for further landslides.

Japan is the latest country to be hit by unusually heavy rain in various parts of the world in recent days that has raised new fears of the pace of climate change.

"Municipalities are still making checks on casualties, ... but we were informed of three deaths, another three deaths potentially related to the disaster, three missing and two lightly injured," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a regular news conference.

The rain forced tire maker Bridgestone 5108.T to suspend operations at four factories on Kyushu on Monday, but the plants resumed operation by Tuesday morning, a company spokesperson said.

(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)