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Death toll from Japan's Typhoon rises to 40, rescue continues

TOKYO, Oct 14 (KUNA) -- Death toll from typhoon-triggered flooding and mudslides in Japan has risen to 40, as rescuers found more bodies, authorities said Monday.
At least 16 people are still missing following Typhoon Hagibis that brought torrential rain across a wide area of Japan, including the Tokyo metropolitan area. Some 190 people were also injured during the deadly storm.
The season's 19th tropical typhoon, the heaviest downpours in six decades, swept through the eastern, central and northeastern regions on weekend before downgrading to an extratropical cyclone on Sunday afternoon, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The weather agency warned of more rain on Monday afternoon in affected areas, urging residents to remain cautious near swollen rivers and be on the alert for possible mudslides. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said 21 rivers flooded.
At a disaster task force meeting in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged full support by his government for residents in the affected areas.
"The government will create an interagency team to help improve shelters and support evacuees find places to live. We will do our best to quickly restore electricity and water supply," he said. The government dispatched some 110,000 police officers, firefighters and Self-Defense Forces personnel to the affected areas for search and rescue operations across the country. (end) mk.hb