3 killed, 45 injured, millions urged to evacuate amid Japan typhoon
News 30-08-2024
Typhoon Shanshan was accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain, and is considered by authorities as potentially one of the strongest storms to strike the region.
Typhoon Shanshan struck southwest Japan on Thursday, accompanied by strong winds and heavy rains, resulting in authorities issuing nationwide evacuation notices to 5.2 million people.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said in a news conference that three people had been killed and one person was missing, while the disaster management agency said 45 people had sustained injuries from the typhoon.
Authorities have warned that Typhoon Shanshan could potentially be one of the strongest storms to strike the region, causing power blackouts, increased traffic, and disrupting factory operations.
Approximately 230,000 households in seven prefectures were left without power on Thursday afternoon, the Kyushu Electric Power Co. reported. However, the company said earlier that the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Satsumasendai city was not affected despite rainfall.
According to a Japanese weather agency, the typhoon was near Unzen city in the Nagasaki prefecture at 1.45 pm (4.45 am GMT) with gusts of up to 180km per hour. The storm then made its way north at around 15km per hour.
“I’ve never experienced such a strong wind or tornado in my 31 years of life,” funeral parlor employee Tomoki Maedatold told Reuters after the typhoon struck Miyazaki city in southern Kyushu, shattering windows and breaking down walls of some buildings.
The weather agency said the typhoon is expected to hit the county’s central and eastern regions, including the capital city of Tokyo.
