1 dead, over 40 injured as heavy rain lashes central Japan

TOKYO, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least one person has been killed in a landslide and more than 40 others injured in central Japan as torrential rain continued to pound the region, local media reported Wednesday.

Some 41 people sustained minor injuries as of 1 p.m. local time on Wednesday in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, while a person caught in a landslide Tuesday morning in Kawanehoncho, Shizuoka Prefecture, was pronounced dead on Wednesday, Kyodo News reported.

As of Wednesday, around 3,500 people had taken shelter at evacuation centers and some 200 vehicles had been inundated in Nagoya, the report said.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said Wednesday that heavy rain is expected to continue across wide areas of the country through Thursday due to an active front, urging people to remain on high alert for landslides, overflowing rivers and flooding in low-lying areas.