Two people missing after heavy rain in Yamagata, Niigata

YAMAGATA — The Japan Meteorological Agency issued special rain warnings from Wednesday night to early Thursday morning for 10 municipalities in Yamagata and Niigata prefectures. All of the warnings were lifted by Thursday morning. However, the Mogami River in Yamagata Prefecture overflowed, causing widespread damage to residential areas.

In the town of Iide in Yamagata Prefecture, a 40-meter-long railway bridge for the JR Yonesaka Line collapsed, while a bridge over a nearby road also collapsed. Local police are investigating a report that a car fell into the river along with the bridge.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference Thursday that two people were missing as of 9:30 a.m. following the heavy rain in the two prefectures.