Heavy rain emergency warning issued for Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a heavy rain emergency warning for the city of Kirishima in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima on Friday. It is extremely likely that serious rain-triggered disasters, such as landslides, have already occurred in the city.

Agency officials are urging people to take actions that could raise their chances of survival. They say people should take shelter inside nearby sturdy buildings if moving to designated evacuation sites is too dangerous. They are also advising people that if going outside is risky, they should stay on the second or higher floors, and also in rooms away from cliffs and slopes.  Domestic flights at Kagoshima airport were cancelled.