TOKYO, 14 August, 2026 (Ghufran): Record-breaking rainfall caused widespread flooding in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, leaving at least five people dead, more than 30 injured and thousands stranded, Japanese authorities said Friday. The Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded its highest-level heavy-rain warning across more than a dozen municipalities in Chiba as the torrential downpour subsided, while forecasting additional rainfall later in the day. Chiba experienced unprecedented rainfall on Thursday, with Chiba City recording about 11.5 centimeters of rain in one hour and Sakura City receiving 9.7 centimeters during the same period, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The intense rainfall caused extensive flooding, submerging homes, vehicles, roads and sections of railway infrastructure in muddy water, while several areas also experienced power outages. Chiba prefectural officials said the five fatalities included a man found floating on a flooded road in Ichikawa and a woman trapped inside a flooded vehicle in Sakura, while two other people were presumed dead after being pulled from vehicles in Kashiwa and Chiba, and one person remained missing. More than 30 people were injured, including five seriously, officials said. The Ground Self-Defense Force deployed buses to assist around 4,000 people stranded overnight at Soga railway station, which serves a local route connecting the area with Tokyo, while Tokyo Disneyland reported no damage. Thousands of passengers were also stranded overnight at Narita Airport, where train services partially resumed Friday morning allowing gradual departures, though delays continued, while flights operated normally. The flooding occurred as many people were returning home after Japan’s Bon Buddhist holiday period. According to Chiba officials, around 170 homes were flooded and more than 300 people took shelter at public facilities by Friday afternoon, while a landslide in Togane also blocked a road. The number of homes without electricity fell to about 18,000 on Friday from approximately 68,000 the previous day, according to TEPCO Power Grid. Koji Ikeuchi, a civil engineering professor at the University of Tokyo, told the Nikkei business daily that rainfall may have exceeded urban sewer capacity and that extensive asphalt and concrete surfaces may have worsened flooding. Authorities continued monitoring conditions across Chiba and urged residents to remain alert as further rainfall was forecast.