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Typhoon Shanshan, with wind gusts up to 200 kilometers per hour, has killed three people and injured nearly 30 people in the southern part of the archipelago.
The strongest typhoon this year hit southern Japan yesterday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds, killing at least three people and injuring 28 on the archipelago, local authorities said.
Heavy rains on Tuesday night ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Shanshan triggered a landslide that buried a house in Gamagori, central Japan, killing three people from the same family and injuring two others, according to the city’s disaster management department.
Miyazaki prefectural authorities told AFP that 26 people were reported injured, 10 of them from the tornado, and more than 150 buildings were damaged.
Most injuries were caused by strong winds that caused windows to shatter or objects to fall. On the southern island of Amami, where the typhoon had already passed, a motorcyclist was injured when he was blown away by a gust of wind, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.
Shanshan made landfall around 8 a.m. near Satsumasendai Island in southern Kyushu, Japan’s second-largest island with a population of 12.5 million.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) predicted that up to 60 centimeters of rain could fall in Kyushu within 24 hours and issued the highest alert level due to strong winds and huge waves.
Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi stressed that “strong winds, huge waves and storms that many people have never experienced are expected.” Authorities advised more than 56,000 people to seek shelter in community centers and other public facilities.
Furious speed
The Japan Meteorological Agency said Typhoon Shanshan was moving north at 15 kilometers per hour, with sustained winds of 144 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 200 kilometers per hour.
The approaching tropical storm caused the Toyota auto giant to suspend 28 production lines at 14 plants in Japan and its subsidiaries until at least the end of yesterday.
Japan Airlines canceled more than 300 flights, while rival ANA announced more than 250 cancellations as of Friday. High-speed Shinkansen and some local rail services have been suspended.
Postal and delivery services in Kyushu have been suspended, and supermarkets and other stores are expected to close. Kyushu’s utility operator said 254,610 households on the island were without power.
Hurricanes in the region are coming closer to the coast, intensifying faster and lingering over land longer than in the past due to climate change, according to a study published in July.
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