Japan urges evacuations after rains leave several missing

The slope of a nursery school on high ground collapses, causing soil and debris to flow out, in Tamana City, Kumamoto Prefecture, western Japan and Kyushu Island region, on August 11, 2025. - AFP

TOKYO: Japanese authorities on Monday (Aug 11) urged millions to evacuate their homes after heavy rains unleashed floods and landslides in the country's south-west, leaving several residents missing.

Television footage from various communities in Kumamoto prefecture showed houses, stores and vehicles submerged in about a metre of water.