Japanese floods force 30,000 to flee

Floodwaters have swamped a city near Tokyo, washing away houses and forcing dozens of people to rooftops, from which they had to be rescued by helicopters.

More than 30,000 fled their homes and hundreds were stranded, as heavy rain hit Japan for a second consecutive day.

The Kinugawa River broke through a flood embankment, sending water gushing into the eastern half of Joso, a city of 60,000 people 50km north east of Tokyo.