floods in Japan : Relief teams work as residents return,
Japanese troops have been airlifting supplies to thousands of people
Residents
of Japan's flood-hit areas are being allowed to return home after
record rainfall that left thousands cut off and at least 26 people dead.
Clean-up efforts have also started after evacuation orders were lifted in the southern island of Kyushu.
A year's worth of rain fell in some areas over the weekend, causing landslides.
Troops are airlifting supplies to those trapped in mountainous areas and seeking at least six missing people.
Residents
have started to clean up the mud and debris from their homes, with
felled trees and debris also being removed from the roads.
"We
are stepping up efforts to remove rubble as roads remain covered with
mud at many points," Masatatsu Minoda, an official from Kumamoto
prefecture, was quoted by AFP news agency as saying.
"Workers
are engaged in clean-up efforts while taking care against possible
further landslides. We may have to stop working if it rains heavily
again."
BBC
Weather's Helen Willetts explains how the torrential rain is formed
.The weather agency says the worst is over but it warns that even a
small amount of rainfall could trigger further landslides, says the
BBC's Mariko Oi in Tokyo.
More rain and thunderstorms were being forecast for some areas, reports said.
On
Sunday officials said 26 people were known to have died in Kumamoto,
Oita and Fukuoka prefectures. Reports said most of the victims were
elderly people in their 70s and 80s.
Evacuation
orders were issued on Saturday for a quarter of a million people. The
orders were lifted in most areas on Sunday as the rain stopped and many
people were allowed to return to their homes.
Heavy rain has also caused flooding in parts of Japan's historic capital, Kyoto, on the main island of Honshu.
Are you in Japan? Have you been affected by the floods? You can send us your experiences using the form below.
