Record-Breaking Kyushu Rainfall Causes Seven Deaths, Missing Persons, Floods 1,200 Homes; Kumamoto, Fukuoka Hit

Record-breaking heavy rainfall in Kyushu, Japan, has resulted in multiple fatalities and missing persons, primarily in Kumamoto and Fukuoka Prefectures. The disaster began on August 11, 2025, with two people found in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest in Kumamoto Prefecture. Several landslides and river floods occurred, including an incident in Kosa Town where a family evacuating in a car was caught in a landslide; the mother and two children were rescued, but the father went missing. Over the following days, the death toll rose as bodies were recovered from rivers and coastal waters, including a man found in Kumamoto's Hamado River and two adults discovered off the coast of Munakata City, Fukuoka. By August 15, the confirmed death toll reached five, with the two bodies found at sea identified as missing persons from Fukutsu City. On August 16, authorities confirmed the death of a woman in her 60s from Kosa Town, whose body was found in the Midorikawa River in Kumamoto City. This brought the total confirmed deaths to seven, with one person still missing in Kumamoto. Approximately 1,200 homes in Kumamoto experienced flooding, and local officials, including Kumamoto Governor Kimura, have been inspecting affected agricultural areas such as fruit farms and processing plants. Emergency services continue to search for missing individuals and manage disaster waste in the region.