39 dead, 51 still missing after Hiroshima landslide

Just horrible. I would not be surprised if that this hillside at Asaminami ends up being razed and no houses will ever be built there again.

It is fact that almost any area in the world could experience a landslide. Landslides are natural disasters that cannot be stopped at times, especially when a landslide comes due to erosion. In this case the weather caused the terrible and ferocious landslide and unfortunately landslides can't be tamed. Therefore landslides are unavoidable at times and it does mean that hundreds of properties, human life and landscapes are at risk from landslides.

Number of missing has been revised to 43 according to NHK. Confirmed dead remains at 39. It just keeps getting worse and worse as they are able to piece together information about who was in homes that have been destroyed and washed downhill etc. I hold this us the final revision.

And Hiroshima City has just issued evacuation orders for more areas as there are more danger signs.

I'm still holding out hope those 26 missing people have evacuated to higher ground and are now waiting to be rescued. Until every body is recovered, you have to have hope. Sadly, some of the deaths may have been avoidable : The Mayor of Hiroshima has come out and stated "it is regrettable that the evacuation advisory came out 1 hour after the landslides began." Rest in Peace, poor Hiroshima folk. May lessons be learnt.

NovenachamaAug. 21, 2014 - 09:54PM JST It is fact that almost any area in the world could experience a landslide. Landslides are natural disasters that cannot be stopped at times, especially when a landslide comes due to erosion.

I wouldn't call it natural disaster, but a man made. In Hiroshima area, 90 percent are mountains. However, this flood was centered in a mountainous area that has undergone severe deforestation and replaced it with buildings of new residental homes. The trees have felled on the mountain in recent two-three decades, allowing extreme erosion to occur when unexpected heavy rainfall happens. High amounts of sediments have been eroded from the mountains near the city due to runoff from excessive rain. The bare, rugged hillsides let flood waters rampage into housing that is built on the mounain side. If you go to suburb in Gion area of Hiroshima, you will see all these homes built along the hills. The city has to build better drainage system on these hills.

sfjp330@

Thank you I agree with you on your comment. Instead, I should have explained that landscapes are generally induced and or triggered by natural physical processes. I believe that landscapes can be triggered by man-made activities such as slope excavation and loading of road and building construction, open-pit mining and quarrying, irrigation blasting, vibrations, water leakage from utilities etc. or by any combination of natural and or man-induced processes.

Thoughts and Prayers to the people affected in Hiroshima and the rescue workers.

Very sad but how many people were injured?

Typo correction: "I hold this us the final revision." Should have been " I hope this is the final revision."

And unfortunately they are now saying there may be 51 missing. Search operations have also been suspended since late last night because of signs of another impending landslide and heavy rain.

sfjp 330, "The bare, rugged hillsides let flood waters rampage into housing that is built on the mounain side. "

It's true that homes should never have been built in these foothill areas but the aerial views etc do not seem to show bare hillsides but rather fairly heavily forested areas up to the residential line. And photos of the damage show the area clogged with the tall trees that came down with the rocks and mud. The trees do look to be all the same type as opposed to a native mixed forest that may help prevent mudslides.

There are currently heavy rain/landslide warnings out in Hokkaido and Aomori in the north as well as a large section of the southern island of Kyushu and some other areas in between.

@BurakuminDesAUG. 22, 2014 - 01:40AM JST

The Mayor of Hiroshima has come out and stated "it is regrettable that the evacuation advisory came out 1 hour after the landslides began." Rest in Peace, poor Hiroshima folk. May lessons be learnt.

International response : Putin Extends Condolences to Japan Prime Minister over Hiroshima Landslides Victims.

' The head of the Russian State has expressed his words of sympathy and support to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those, injured as a result of this catastrophe' a statement on the Kremlin website read '

http://world.einnews.com/article/219485181/yjGfpPQj5W1oIWAK

the father had thrown his son into Masaoka's arms as he saw the second wave of mud and rocks beginning to cascade down the hillside. He then watched helplessly as the suffocating tide swallowed both the child and his would-be rescuer. The bystander said the grief-stricken father remained where he was, just shouting his son's name. He was left unscathed by the landslip that claimed the young boy's life.

That is so sad. That poor father. He thought he was doing the right thing.