At least four people were killed after exceptionally heavy rain hit eastern Japan, triggering flooding, landslide warnings, power outages and widespread transport disruptions, authorities said Friday. The torrential rainfall late Thursday prompted Japan’s highest-level heavy rain warning for the Chiba region for the first time. A fifth person was feared dead and another remained unaccounted for as emergency authorities continued assessing the damage.

The Chiba Prefecture Disaster Management Office identified several of the victims, including a man believed to be in his 60s or 70s who was found in floodwater on a road and a 66-year-old woman who was trapped inside a submerged vehicle. A third person, whose age was not known, was found collapsed on a street, while the identity and circumstances surrounding the fourth victim remained unclear. Authorities continued search and rescue operations amid severe flooding.

The rainfall also caused extensive damage and disruption across Chiba prefecture. Nearly 26,000 households were without electricity as of Friday morning, while 45 homes were flooded in areas including Ichikawa, Kashiwa and Sakura. Another 39 houses reported water entering below floor level. The Japan Meteorological Agency had warned that the rainfall was developing into an “unprecedented” level of heavy rain as the situation deteriorated.

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Thousands of travellers were also affected at Narita airport, one of the two major airports serving the Tokyo area. Around 6,000 people were stranded at the airport overnight after transport services were disrupted, with numerous trains to and from the airport cancelled until Friday afternoon. Airport staff reportedly distributed water, food and sleeping bags to stranded passengers, while travellers spent the night inside the terminal.

Rail disruptions also left hundreds of people stranded at Chiba station, while shelters accommodated residents affected by flooding. Local reports showed vehicles partly submerged in floodwater in Kashiwa. Residents described the flooding as sudden, with one woman in Ichikawa expressing concern over prolonged power outages and whether her business would be able to reopen in the following days.

By Friday morning, the highest-level heavy rain warnings had been downgraded to level four as authorities continued dealing with the aftermath. Emergency teams were assessing flooded areas, power disruptions and transport damage while monitoring conditions for further landslides and flooding. Scientists have warned that human-driven climate change is contributing to more frequent, prolonged and intense extreme weather events, adding to concerns over the impact of increasingly severe rainfall.

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