Huge rains have also affected the nearby Fukushima nuclear plant,


More than 100,000 people have been evacuated and thousands of properties destroyed, after rare torrential rains saw a major river burst its banks north of Tokyo in Japan on Thursday.

A further 800,000 people across eastern Japan have been advised to evacuate after officials issued pre-dawn warnings of unusually harsh rainfall to 5 million people.

Dramatic footage shows people being plucked from their homes minutes before a tsunami-like wall of muddy water gushing from the Kinugawa river in Joso, carry their houses downstream.

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Flooding: The Kinugawa river, seen at the top, burst its banks on Thursday in the wake of huge rains caused by tropical typhoon Etau, in Joso, Ibaraki prefecture, Japan, forcing thousands to evacuate

Last minute: Residents in Joso are seen waving items of clothing from their balconies to signal rescue helicopters for aid as the ragiv river threatens to carry their homes downstream

A woman is rescued by police officers at a residential area flooded by the Kinugawa river, caused by typhoon Etau in Joso, Ibaraki prefecture, Japan

So far, two people have been reported missing: a man in his 70s and a 63-year old woman, both in Joso, which is home to some 65,000 people, as a wide area was deluged in the wake of Typhoon Etau.

Some areas received double the usual September rainfall within 48 hours after tropical storm Etau swept across the central part of Japan's main island of Honshu.

So far, only two people have been reported missing: a man in his 70s and a 63-year old woman, both in Joso, which is home to some 65,000 people

The huge rains also exacerbated a contaminated water problem at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant as it overwhelmed the site's drainage pumps, sending radiation-tainted water into the ocean.

Japan has put heavy emphasis on disaster prevention since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster that left nearly 20,000 dead. It is eager to avoid the criticism faced by previous governments for what was seen as a sluggish response.

Saved by the bell: A resident is rescued from the roof of a car by helicopter in Joso just seconds before the vehicle disappears in the water

Extensive damage: Houses are flooded due to heavy rain in Koshigaya, Saitama prefecture, some 20 miles south of Joso

A building of an open-air spa, right, that belongs to Kinugawa Plaza Hotel, falls into the rapid stream of the Kinugawa river in Nikko

In addition to the 100,000 already evacuated, a further 800,000 people across eastern Japan have been advised to leave their homes

Waiting to be saved: Residents and their dogs wait for rescuers as the house is submerged in water flooded from the raging river in Joso

Tochigi authorities ordered more than 90,000 residents to evacuate, while another 116,000 were advised to leave their homes

'The government will work as one to prioritise the safety of the people and do our best to prevent any further disaster,' Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters, and warned of unprecedented rains.

In Joso, houses and vehicles were washed away along with some power lines, as military personnel headed to the area to help with the rescue mission.

A solitary man clutched onto a concrete power pole, unable to move as raging water surged by him. He was later rescued.

Nearby, an emergency official was suspended from a helicopter to rescue a person from a submerged home.

Desperate residents waved towels at rescuers as they stood on second-floor balconies waiting for help.

'Please continue to ask for help. Please do not give up hope,' an NHK broadcaster said in an apparent message to helpless residents.

Joso is in Ibaraki prefecture, where the Japan Meteorological Agency had issued special warnings urging vigilance against mudslides and flooding. It had similar warnings for Tochigi prefecture.

Rescue work: An elderly couple is taken to safety by emergency services in Joso, Ibaraki prefecture

A family wade through calmer waters on Thursday morning, carrying items they have been able to salvage from their homes

A man kneels on the roof of a car on a road flooded by the Kinugawa river in Joso, Ibaraki prefecture as he waits for rescuers to arrive

Bad news: The huge rains in east Japan has also hit the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, overwhelming drainage pumps and sending radiation-tainted water into the sea

'The prefecture has requested assistance from the Self-Defence Forces and police helicopters from the region. We are receiving their help,' a prefectural officialsaid.

'We do not have updated information about the damage, but we know it is extensive and affected wide areas,' he added.

Tochigi authorities ordered more than 90,000 residents to evacuate, while another 116,000 were advised to leave their homes, public broadcaster NHK said. In Ibaraki , at least 20,000 were ordered to evacuate for fears of floodings.

In Tochigi's Kanuma city, a local official said rescuers were searching for a missing person believed to be buried in mudslides.

'We don't know details of this person yet,' he said.

NHK reported it was a woman in her 60s buried after mudslides destroyed houses. Her husband was rescued soon after, it added.

Two men were missing in Nikko, a city known for its historical shrines, after possibly being buried by landslides, public broadcaster NHK said.

Two other men in Nikko were rescued after being swept into a drainage gutter, but one was unconscious, the broadcaster said.

Etau, which smashed into Japan on Wednesday, moved out into the Sea of Japan (East Sea) by the end of the day, but a wall of rain continued to lash the country.