Death toll rises to 9 following typhoon-induced downpours in Japan, 4 still missing

TOKYO - The death toll rose to nine on Wednesday, with four others still missing, after heavy rain from a large typhoon battered the Kanto region in eastern Japan and triggered landslides and flooding on Monday, local media reported.

Among the nine deaths, six were confirmed in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, including a man in his 50s who died after falling into a bamboo grove while operating heavy machinery to clear mud and debris from a landslide. The latest confirmed victim was a man found dead in a submerged vehicle, according to Kyodo News.

Another three were confirmed in Kanagawa Prefecture, southwest of the capital, including a woman in her 60s who died after a landslide struck her home and sent mud pouring into the house.

Police and firefighters continue searching for the missing people.

Typhoon Dujuan, which approached Japan's eastern Pacific coast on Monday and has now moved away, brought record rainfall to the Kanto region and the Izu Islands, triggering a series of landslides and river flooding and wreaking havoc in areas near Tokyo.

More than 500 buildings in Chiba, Kanagawa and Ibaraki prefectures have been destroyed, damaged or flooded due to the typhoon so far. More than 24,700 households in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures were without power as of shortly before 6 am local time on Wednesday, public broadcaster NHK reported.