A mobile phone belonging to a woman who died after being swept away by a mudslide has been found close to the site of her former home, 読売新聞 reports. The discovery came as the Okunoto region marked two years since the heavy rain disaster.
According to 読売新聞, the woman's family had visited the area to lay flowers on the anniversary day when the phone was located near where her house once stood.
The heavy rain struck the Okunoto area of Ishikawa Prefecture, causing widespread damage. Other outlets have reported on the scale of the destruction: 北國新聞社, via Yahoo!ニュース, described large volumes of earth and sand pouring from a school ground in central Wajima, reaching as high as one meter and burying cars. 朝日新聞 reported on a home that was swept away just two days after earthquake repairs were completed, and on an SOS message reading "35 people" written at a port.
Recovery and remembrance have continued across the region. NHKニュース reported that some people are being asked to move out of temporary housing, while a disaster radio station broadcast a special program carrying the message to move forward one step at a time, according to ｄメニューニュース.
What to watch next: how recovery efforts and housing support for displaced residents in Okunoto develop as the third year since the disaster begins.