Two dead, 9 mn. asked to evacuate after super typhoon hits Japan

Tokyo, Sep. 19 (IANS): At least two people were killed in Japan and some nine million others asked to evacuate from their homes after super typhoon Nanmadol, deemed to be one of the worst, made landfall in the region of Kyushu, bringing heavy rain and gales, local media reported on Monday.

In Fukuoka prefecture, a man who was believed to be on his way to find shelter from the typhoon was found collapsed and later confirmed dead, reports Xinhua news agency.

Another man was declared dead after being pulled out of a car submerged in a flooded farmland in Miyazaki prefecture, according to local authorities.

According to a Miyazaki prefectural official, a man in his 40s was reported missing after his cabin was destroyed by a landslide.

The 14th typhoon of the year was moving near Hagi, Yamaguchi prefecture on Monday afternoon, at a speed of some 20 km per hour.

It had an atmospheric pressure of 975 hectopascals at its centre, packing winds up to 108 kph with maximum gusts of 162 kph.

More than 70 people were injured amid the extreme weather, with bullet trains suspended in Kyushu on Monday and around 600 flights cancelled by the country’s two main airlines ANA and Japan Airlines, the local media reports said.

The typhoon is expected to travel across Japan’s largest island, Honshu through Tuesday, with the Japan Meteorological Agency continuing to issue warnings for strong winds, high tides and mudslides.

Tens of thousands of people spent Sunday night in emergency shelters, and almost 350,000 homes are without power.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has delayed a visit to New York, where he is due to give speech at the UN General Assembly, until Tuesday, to monitor the impact of the storm.