At least 49 people have been killed and another 48 are missing as “historic” rains batter central and western Japan. As of Saturday, at least 1.6 million people had been evacuated and more than 3 million were advised to leave their homes. Landslides, rising rivers, and powerful winds were blamed for dozens of deaths, while many residents ventured to their roofs to avoid being swept up in floodwaters. A whopping 48,000 police officers, firefighters, and members of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces have been deployed to assist in rescue efforts. The downpour also slammed industry, with Mitsubishi Motors among the automakers to halt production at one of its plants due to the weather.
