Japan evacuates 10,000 people due to river overflow

A mass evacuation has been announced in the Japanese prefecture of Akita due to river overflow - the authorities are evacuating about 10,000 people.

The authorities of the prefecture announced the fifth - the maximum - level of danger, meaning the need for immediate evacuation of settlements near the river Taihei. It is noted that the overflow of the river has already begun, Gazeta.ru reports.

More than 50 thousand residents of Akita and the neighbouring prefecture of Aomori received an alert about the desirability of evacuation in connection with the threat of river overflow, waterlogging and landslides.

It has been raining non-stop in Japan since the night of July 14 - the volume of precipitation in several prefectures exceeds 220 mm in 12 hours.