Thousands stranded at Japan’s Narita airport after record rain kills four
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Travellers stranded due to heavy rain crowd Narita International Airport in Narita, Japan’s Chiba prefecture, on Aug 14.
PHOTO: REUTERS
TOKYO – Record rainfall left thousands of travellers stranded at Tokyo’s Narita airport on the morning of Aug 14 as flooding in the surrounding area disrupted transport, knocked out power to homes and claimed at least four lives.
More than 360mm of rain fell in 24 hours in parts of Chiba prefecture, which adjoins the capital Tokyo, inundating roads and railways during one of Japan’s busiest holiday weeks.
The authorities said four deaths have been confirmed so far, including one person trapped in a submerged vehicle, while another person is missing. Soldiers have been dispatched to the area to help with relief efforts.
“This case was an extremely unusual situation,” Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai told reporters on the morning of Aug 14.
“I have responded to many disasters in the past, but I have never experienced a case like this.”
More than 22,000 households remained without power at 11am (10am Singapore time) on Aug 14, according to utility provider Tokyo Electric Power.
In Chiba city, one of the worst hit areas, hundreds of people spent the night under foil blankets at government buildings serving as temporary evacuation centres.
The transport disruption left around 7,000 people stranded at Narita, an airport spokesperson said, adding that all flights are scheduled to operate normally on Aug 14. Japan Airlines said some flights may experience delays, but no cancellations are currently expected.
Some major highways in Chiba were shut, forcing drivers onto alternative routes and causing heavy traffic, according to highway operator NEXCO East.
Several rail services also remained suspended on the morning of Aug 14, though some trains connecting Narita to Tokyo had resumed operations, easing congestion at the international transport hub.
Overnight, hundreds of passengers queued to collect blankets, water bottles and snacks from airport staff before bedding down across the terminal building, footage on public broadcaster NHK showed.
“We are never going to forget this trip,” one American traveller who was stranded at the airport with his family told NHK. REUTERS
