Japan to use 710 million yen from reserves to tackle typhoon damage (Source : Kyodo News)

Japan to use 710 million yen from reserves to tackle typhoon damage

Harvi
Politics & Economic
News Flash Japan
Oct 16, 2019
1419
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan will disburse about 710 million yen ($6.5 million) from reserves in the fiscal 2019 budget to deal with the aftermath of the most powerful typhoon to hit the country in decades, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday.
The funds will be used to set up temporary toilets and send necessities such as water, food and cardboard beds to shelters in central, eastern and northeastern parts of the country flooded by record-breaking rainfall over the weekend.

The Cabinet will approve the disbursement later in the day, Abe told a session of the House of Councillors Budget Committee.

On Wednesday, Japanese rescuers continued to wade through mud to search for survivors of the typhoon -- though the first 72 hours considered critical for finding more people have lapsed.

At least 73 people have been killed by Typhoon Hagibis and more than a dozen are missing, according to a Kyodo News tally, based on official information collected from each region.

The northeast, devastated by the 2011 massive earthquake and tsunami, was especially hard hit -- with a death toll of 26 in Fukushima the highest among Japan's 47 prefectures -- after the Abukuma River burst its banks.

A major search-and-rescue operation continued in Marumori, Miyagi Prefecture, through which the Abukuma runs. Officials said its water levels topped 23 meters at 5 a.m. on Sunday.

Source: https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20191016/p2g/00m/0na/052000c