Six people have died and ten others are missing following record rainfall that triggered floods and landslides in Japan's Ishikawa prefecture. The cities of Wajima and Suzu, which were already recovering from a deadly earthquake on January 1, are among the most severely affected by the heavy rainfall, which began on Saturday and continued until noon local time (03:00 GMT) on Monday.

On Sunday, Wajima and Suzu experienced double the typical September rainfall, as reported by local media. Numerous rivers overflowed, cutting off roads and isolating over 100 communities throughout the prefecture. Two victims were discovered near a tunnel affected by a landslide in Wajima, including a construction worker engaged in road repairs. Additionally, two elderly men and an elderly woman were confirmed dead, according to the Japan Times citing local authorities.

Japan's meteorological agency issued its highest "life-threatening" alert level for Ishikawa on Saturday, which was later downgraded to a regular warning on Sunday. However, officials have urged residents to remain vigilant as heavy rain is expected to persist until at least noon on Monday.

The floodwaters have inundated temporary housing for individuals displaced by the New Year’s earthquake, with NHK broadcasting footage of a street in Wajima completely submerged. This region is still recovering from the devastating 7.5 magnitude earthquake in January that resulted in at least 236 fatalities, widespread building collapses, and a major fire.

On Monday, approximately 4,000 households were reported without power, according to Hokuriku Electric Power Company. Over the weekend, more than 40,000 residents across four cities in Ishikawa, including Wajima, Suzu, and the town of Noto, were evacuated. An additional 16,000 residents in the northern Niigata and Yamagata prefectures were also advised to evacuate, as reported by the AFP news agency.