By Irene Wang
TOKYO, Sept 9 (Reuters) – Hundreds of athletes and officials were briefly evacuated after heavy rain battered Nagoya, but the city’s mayor on Wednesday ruled out any disruption to the Asian Games.
Torrential rain flooded roads and water entered some of the venues for the multi-sport event, scheduled from September 19 to October 4.
Around 400 people, including staff and athletes, had to be evacuated due to the heavy rain, but they later returned and no injuries were reported, an Asian Games official told Reuters.
“The situation is not severe enough to jeopardise the opening of the Games on the 19th,” Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa told reporters.
“Based on the current situation, I don’t believe there will be any problem to hold the Asian Games.”
Roofs at several venues leaked, but Hirosawa expected the Games to continue as planned.
“We have not yet been able to fully assess the situation outside Nagoya City, so I cannot comment on the overall situation,” he said.
“Based on the information we have at this point, I believe that we will be able to hold the Games without delay.”
(Writing by Amlan Chakraborty; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)
