Heavy rain slams southern Japan, triggering floods and mudslides

Torrential rain pounded parts of southern Japan, triggering floods and landslides and sending residents to shelters as officials issued highest-level warnings.

Torrential rain pounded the southern Japanese island of Kyushu on Friday, triggering floods and landslides and sending residents to shelters as officials issued highest-level warnings in parts of the region.

A mudslide hit a house in Aira city in Kagoshima prefecture, burying two people who were rescued alive and taken to hospital, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

The agency issued evacuation advisories to more than 360,000 people in Kagoshima prefecture and neighboring Miyazaki.

Television footage showed muddy water gushing down swollen rivers. In Kirishima city, floodwater was up to knee level at a shopping mall.

The heavy rain paralyzed local transportation, halting trains and buses. Dozens of flights in and out of Kagoshima have been canceled.