At least four people died in eastern Japan after "unprecedented" heavy rain that left thousands stranded at Narita airport overnight and snarled up roads and rail services, authorities said Friday.The torrential downpours late Thursday triggered landslide warnings and power outages, with forecasters issuing the highest-level heavy rain warning for the Chiba region for the first time.
In Chiba's rural parts, more than a dozen cars were left abandoned on low-lying roads, an AFP journalist saw.
At Narita, sleeping bags piled up as passengers slept all over the terminal, with massive lines forming for check-in across the airport.
A traveler from the United Kingdom who gave his name as Philip told AFP that he had to go through a nine-hour journey, including a taxi ride, before finally arriving at the airport early Friday morning.
With a sleeping bag in hand, he said he has "just been trying to get some sleep and watching Netflix".
