Death toll reaches 176 in rain-deluged western Japan

Japan's top government spokesperson Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press briefing that the government is likely to tap into reserve funds of about 2 billion yen (18 million US dollars) to help deal with the disaster's aftereffects.

But Farm Minister Ken Saito said that damage caused to agriculture, including mountain forests, paddy fields and reservoirs, had already topped 7 billion yen (63 million US dollars).

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said that as of Tuesday morning, 347 homes have been partially or completely destroyed by the downpours or in landslides and 9,868 homes have been flooded.

The extent of the damage is likely to rise significantly, the agency said, as many municipalities have yet to report the full extent of the damage.

Abe also said that to address food and water shortages in some of the disaster areas, trucks carrying food and water stocks to retail stores, including convenience stores, will be considered emergency vehicles.

The Health Ministry said that as of Tuesday morning, nearly 300,000 homes spanning 12 prefectures in western Japan were still without water supply.

To safeguard their workers, some major businesses in the disaster-hit regions have halted production, including at Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp.