Thousands of volunteers rushed to western Japan regions ravaged by the worst rain disaster in decades on Saturday, the first day of a three-day weekend, as residents braved the scorching heat to remove mud and debris.The highest temperatures for the year in some areas in the hardest-hit prefectures of Okayama, Hiroshima and Ehime made relief efforts more challenging. More than 130 people in the three prefectures were taken to hospitals for suspected heat exhaustion, of which one elderly woman died, according to local authorities.The death toll from the past week's torrential rains stood at …READ FULL ARTICLE
