Chiba flooding claims four lives as Self-Defence Force mobilises during Bon holiday
Governor Toshihito Kumagai describes the situation as 'extremely unusual' as thousands remain stranded and power outages exceed 22,000 households.
At least four individuals have died and thousands of travellers remain stranded in Chiba prefecture following record-breaking rainfall that has severely disrupted transport networks and utility services. The flooding, which occurred during the Bon Buddhist holiday week, saw over 360mm of rain fall within a 24-hour period, overwhelming local infrastructure east of Tokyo.
The Chiba Prefecture Disaster Management Office confirmed the fatalities, identifying a man in his 60s or 70s found floating on a flooded road and a 66-year-old woman trapped in a submerged vehicle. Two additional deaths were recorded, including a man of unknown age collapsed on the street and a person of undetermined gender and age. Authorities are currently searching for a fifth person feared dead and a sixth individual whose whereabouts remain unaccounted for.
Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai addressed the media on Friday morning, characterising the event as an anomaly in the region’s disaster history. “This case was an extremely unusual situation,” Kumagai told reporters. “I have responded to many disasters in the past, but I have never experienced a case like this.”
The scale of the disruption has prompted a significant military response. The Ground Self-Defence Force has been deployed to assist with relief operations, including the evacuation of 4,000 people from Soga train station who had been stranded for hours. Meanwhile, Tokyo Electric Power reported that more than 22,000 households were without electricity by 11am (02:00 GMT) on Friday, with approximately 80 homes experiencing direct flooding.
Travel chaos has persisted across the region, with thousands of people stuck overnight at Narita airport and trains suspended from the area. While services partially resumed on Friday morning with delays, flights continued to operate normally. The Japan Meteorological Agency has downgraded its most severe heavy rain warnings in more than a dozen municipalities as precipitation subsided, though further rain is forecast. Officials have advised more than 230,000 residents to take shelter as the prefecture grapples with the aftermath.
