Japan PM pledges all-out efforts for missing people after Typhoon Hagibis

NAGANO. KAZINFORM Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged all-out efforts Sunday to help locate missing people and restore infrastructure devastated by Typhoon Hagibis in a meeting with the governor of Nagano Prefecture, one of the hardest-hit areas.

«The government will do everything it can. We will make all-out efforts in searching for missing people and in restoring rivers and lifeline services,» the premier told Nagano Gov. Shuichi Abe during the meeting at the prefectural government office, Kyodo News reports.

The prime minister inspected the site of the breached embankment of the Chikuma River, inundated homes and other areas hit by the typhoon last weekend, following his recent inspections in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures.

In Nagano, he also visited an evacuation center to meet displaced people and listen to what kind of urgent support they need.

The season's 19th typhoon caused massive flooding and landslides, claiming the lives of at least 79 people in Tokyo and 11 other prefectures, with 10 still missing.

More than 56,000 homes were left damaged, destroyed or inundated, the government said Sunday.