Typhoon Shanshan injures dozens, cause power outage in southwestern Japan
Aug 29, 2024
Tokyo [Japan], August 29 : Typhoon Shanshan struck southwestern Japan on Thursday morning, leaving dozens of people injured, reported Al Jazeera.
The typhoon, which made a landfall near Satsumasendai city on Kyushu island at about 8am on Thursday morning, bringing along gusty winds and rainfall, also resulted in power outage.
The Miyakawa River burst its banks, prompting the issuance of a Level 5 emergency notice for the city of Yufu in Oita Prefecture, according to the Japan Times. Due to potential flooding from the Yakkan River, the city of Usa, which is located in Oita Prefecture, was placed under the same warning.
The cities of Bungotakada and Kunisaki in Oita Prefecture have also ssued Level 5 emergency warnings -- the highest level -- covering nearly 30,000 residents, Japan Times reported.
Kunisaki issued the alert at 2:15 p.m. for all 3,909 households, encompassing 8,518 residents, in the Aki-machi area of the city after the Aki River overflowed due to heavy rainfall.
A Level 5 warning means residents should take immediate life-saving actions by moving to safer locations, such as the second floor or higher in their homes, nearby sturdy buildings or areas away from slopes.
According to the Kyushu Electric Power Company, over 250,000 residents in seven prefectures on the island were without power, reported Al Jazeera.
In the upcoming days, Shanshan is predicted by the weather agency to pass over central and eastern Japan, including Tokyo, the country's capital. The officials have issued evacuation orders for millions of people. Since Tuesday, Typhoon Shanshan has brought torrential rains to large parts of Japan.
As of Thursday afternoon, three deaths linked to the storm have been confirmed, all related to a landslide that trapped five family members in Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture, as rain from the typhoon battered the Tokai region, Japan Times reported.
The authorities were also assessing the degree of injuries and damage in Kyushu. By early Thursday afternoon at least 54 people -- 30 in Miyazaki, 15 in Kagoshima, three in Nagasaki, two in Kumamoto and Oita and one in Fukuoka and Saga -- were injured, and one person was missing due to the storm, according to NHK.
Shanshan is the third significant storm to affect Japan this month.
