Death toll reaches 176 in rain-deluged western Japan

According to local reports, many people chose to stay at home even after the weather agency issued emergency warnings and evacuation orders following the heavy rain and thus lost the chance to escape when flooding or landslides occurred.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who canceled his trip to Europe and the Middle East to attend to the disaster, told a meeting of the government's crisis response unit that reserve funds would be made available before requests came in from local governments.

"We will assess the needs of victims and push for quick reconstruction," the prime minister said.

Abe is scheduled to visit Okayama prefecture on Wednesday to inspect the damage and assess the evacuees' needs.