2014 Hiroshima landslides
On 20 August 2014, Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan was struck by a series of landslides following heavy rain. The rain triggered 166 slope failures which included 107 debris flows and 59 shallow slides. The landslides hit residential areas including Kabe, Asakita Ward, Yagi, Yamamoto, Midorii, and Asaminami Ward. Of these areas, the Asakita and Asaminami Wards in Northern Hiroshima were hit the hardest.
Location of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan | |
| Date | 20 August 2014 |
|---|---|
| Location | Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan |
| Coordinates | 34.487°N 132.494°E |
| Also known as | 広島土砂災害(Hiroshima Dosha Saigai), 平成26年8月19日からの豪雨災害(Heisei 26-nen 8 tsuki 19-nichi Kara no Gōu Saigai) |
| Cause | Landslide due to heavy rain |
| Deaths | 74 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 69 |
| Missing | 0 |
Following the rainfall, Hiroshima issued an evacuation advisory at 4:15 am. Mayor Kazumi Matsui confessed regret over the advisory's late issuance and recommended that the city study the incident to improve the process. Under the law which took effect in 2001, prefectural governments and other authorities must carry out on-site research to designate areas for which evacuation plans and hazard maps will be created. In Hiroshima there are about 32,000 possibly dangerous areas, the highest of all 47 prefectures. There were 44 injuries and 74 deaths. According to the police, the deaths included three boys aged two, three and eleven.