Aug 30 (Japan Today) - The death toll from heavy rains in Japan rose to three on Thursday, as authorities urged local authorities to stay on alert despite the lifting of some evacuation orders.
The third victim in the rains that prompted the weather agency to issue its highest level warning earlier this week was discovered in a flooded home in southwestern Saga prefecture, officials said.
"An autopsy determined that she had drowned," Saga police spokesman Hiroshi Dan told AFP of the 96-year-old woman. "When rescuers went to the house yesterday, they didn't see her as the water was already nearly one meter high."
Two other deaths were confirmed Wednesday in Saga and neighboring Fukuoka Prefecture. And officials said one person was in critical condition and another was missing in Saga.
Authorities meanwhile lifted evacuation orders that on Wednesday applied to 870,000 people.
By Thursday afternoon, 392,000 people were under orders to seek shelter, while another 884,000 were under lower-level evacuation advisories, according to the national disaster management agency.
The weather agency has also downgraded its warnings for the region from the highest "emergency warning" to the second-highest level, but warned residents must to remain alert for landslides and flooding.
The agency forecasts more heavy rains could hit northern Kyushu and other areas in the coming days, although floodwater has receded now in some areas.
Evacuation orders and advisories issued by local authorities are not mandatory, although officials urge residents to heed them.
