Japan gov't plans special fiscal aid for flood-hit regions

The Japanese government plans to provide special fiscal aid for recovery efforts in the western Japan regions ravaged by the country's worst disaster caused by heavy rains in decades, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Sunday.

The death toll from the floods and landslides caused by the torrential rains earlier in the month rose to 216, with over 20 people still missing, according to Kyodo News tallies.

While rescuers continued to search for the missing in Hiroshima, Okayama, Ehime, Osaka and Nara prefectures, Abe said rebuilding work in the afflicted regions will be subject to special subsidization by the central government under the Law Concerning Special Fiscal Aid for Coping with Disasters.

"We will help everyone get back to a normal life as we encourage (municipalities) to speed up their disaster recovery without fiscal concerns," Abe told a meeting of the government's disaster response headquarters.

The special aid will cover infrastructure reconstruction and support for businesses and farmers among other recovery efforts.