At least five people have been confirmed dead following torrential rainfall in Japan, while as many as eight people are feared to have lost their lives as severe flooding and widespread disruption hit Chiba Prefecture.
The heavy downpour also triggered extensive flooding, power outages and transport disruptions across the region, leaving thousands of residents and travellers stranded.
According to the Chiba disaster management office, nearly 26,000 households were without electricity as of Friday.
More than 80 homes were flooded in parts of Ichikawa, Kashiwa and Sakura, while water reportedly seeped into nearly 90 other houses below floor level.
The scale of the rainfall prompted a Japan Meteorological Agency official to warn that the situation was reaching an “unprecedented level” of heavy rain.
About 6,000 passengers were forced to spend the night at Narita International Airport after train services connecting the airport with other parts of the region were suspended.
Many of the affected train routes were not expected to resume until Friday afternoon, according to authorities.
Some passengers described the experience as unexpected and disruptive, with airport authorities reportedly distributing food, water and sleeping bags to stranded travellers.
“I never thought I’d spend the night at the airport, but it is what it is and we are learning,” one traveller told NHK.
“We’re never going to forget this trip,” he added.
Hundreds of other passengers were also stranded at Chiba station following the suspension of train services, while shelters accommodated residents displaced by the flooding.
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Images from Kashiwa showed vehicles partially submerged in floodwater, with water reaching the headlights of some cars.
A resident of Ichikawa described the flooding as sudden and said the power outage had raised concerns about the future of her business.
“This happened all of a sudden, so it was a complete surprise. The power is out, so I’m worried whether I can open my business in the next couple of days,” she told NHK.
Japan’s highest level-5 emergency warnings for heavy rain had been downgraded to level 4 by Friday morning, although authorities continued to urge residents to remain cautious amid the risk of flooding and landslides.
The latest disaster comes amid growing concerns over increasingly extreme weather events. Scientists have warned that human-driven climate change is contributing to more frequent, prolonged and intense episodes of extreme rainfall.
