Typhoon Hagibis' death toll drops to 74

The balance sheet of one of the most powerful typhoons ever to hit Japan on Wednesday [October 16th] has risen to 74, NHK public television reported, while rescue crews pursued mud and debris searches for missing persons.

Fifteen people are still missing, reported the NHK as more than 100,000 rescuers were still looking for survivors in flooded areas affected by deadly landslides. Precipitations on Tuesday morning and others planned in the evening posed a new threat to the inhabitants, complicating the task of soldiers, firefighters, police and coastguard. "Heavy rains have raised the level of rivers and weakened the land in places, warned government spokesman Yoshihige Suga. We call on residents not to relax their attention and maintain maximum alertness".

Typhoon Hagibis made landfall Saturday night on Japan's main island, Honshu, and a magnitude 5.7 earthquake rocked Tokyo shortly thereafter. According to NHK, 12 people were still missing after the typhoon and more than 220 people were injured.