The Japan Times

Elementary school in Kumamoto Pref. marks 3rd anniversary of deadly floods

Children at an elementary school in a village in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, have marked the third anniversary of deadly flooding that hit the region.

In July 2020, the Kuma River flooded after record rainfall, killing 25 people in Kuma Village.

Children at Watari Elementary School offered a silent prayer while sirens sounded at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

The school building was flooded to above the ground-floor ceiling at the time of the disaster. The children are now using a temporary facility built in the compound of a junior high school about six kilometers away.

A boy in the fourth grade said he hopes the village can become a place where residents do their best on behalf of those who died.

A fifth-grader said she hopes to protect the things she treasures, as the disaster deprived her of so much.

A current teacher, who was working at the school at the time of the disaster, recalled that the horrible sight was beyond description.

He said, unfortunately, similar disasters may hit the area again, but he is determined to work to provide the children with a safe learning environment.

Source: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230704_20/