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Powerful Typhoon “Haishen” hit southern Japan on Sunday. The head of the Japanese meteorological authority, Yoshihisa Nakamoto, warned of record rainfall, violent gusts of wind, flooding and landslides. Authorities called on more than 7 million people, especially in Kyushu, one of Japan’s main islands, to seek safety.
“Haishen” was classified as “extremely strong” by meteorologists. On Sunday evening (local time), wind speeds of up to 216 km / h were measured southwest of the island of Yakushima. The tropical cyclone weakened a bit en route to Japan, but authorities asked people to “be very careful.”
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called an emergency cabinet meeting to coordinate possible rescue measures. Abe asked the population: “Stay informed and take immediate precautions to ensure your safety.” Nearly 550 flights were canceled due to the storm and numerous train connections were disrupted, broadcaster NHK reported.
Local authorities advised against going to crowded emergency shelters to minimize the risk of corona infections. Some shelters turned away those seeking help to keep the distance rules.
Boat accident off the Japanese coast
Japan’s western coast stopped searching for shipwreck survivors off the Japanese coast due to Saturday’s storm. The cargo ship “Gulf Livestock 1” sank on Wednesday with 43 sailors and 6,000 cows on board during the passage of Typhoon “Maysak” about 185 kilometers west of the island of Amami Oshima. Two survivors, both Filipino sailors, were rescued, dozens of other crew members are still missing.
According to the meteorological authority, the storm is expected to move north from the west coast of Japan to the Korean peninsula and reach it on Monday. North Korea was recently hit by a typhoon that caused severe damage. State media released images of the ruler Kim Jong-un seeing the damage over the weekend. According to the report, he ordered 12,000 party members to help clean up. (afp / kle)
