On Monday, Typhoon Hashen had winds of 160 kilometers per hour (99 miles per hour), making it the equivalent of 2 lower-class hurricanes in the Atlantic. It is the second major hurricane to hit the region in less than a week after Typhoon Mayasek hit the region on Wednesday.
At least 1,640 South Koreans have been evacuated so far, according to South Korea’s Interior and Security Ministry. According to South Korea’s eastern North Gyeongsang province, about 23,500 homes remain without electricity due to strong winds brought by Heishen.
On Monday, a man was injured in the South Korean city of Busan on the country’s southeastern coast when a strong wind overturned a car, according to the ministry.
Turbine generators shut down automatically on Monday in the country’s eastern city of Gyeongju. The ministry is reviewing the reason.
On Sunday, Typhoon Heishen swept across the Japanese island of Kyushu, with winds of about 195 kph (121 miles per hour). One person was rescued, but three other men and a woman are missing, officials in Miyazaki Prefecture in Kyushu said.
Teams are continuing to search for four missing people who went missing after their homes were washed away in rivers in southwestern Japan, according to local officials.
At least 46 people were injured in Kyushu as the storm raged on Sunday, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. As of Monday afternoon, at least 253,530 homes in Kyushu were still without electricity, according to provider Kyushu Electric.
Damage to the storm
Typhoon Hashen, which took part in the region last week from Typhoon Mayesk, followed a similar path and brought devastating winds and heavy rains.
North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reports that the country’s leader Kim Jong Un has called on Pyongyang citizens to volunteer for repair efforts in areas affected by Typhoon Mayask. The North Korean leader said more than 1,000 homes were destroyed and homes and public facilities were submerged in the southern Hemigong province, displacing many people.
KCNA reports that about 300,000 Pyongyang city party members responded to their calls.
“The number of volunteers is steadily increasing as activists follow the example of party members,” KCNA said.
Japan and the Korean Peninsula often experience hurricanes and torrential rains during the summer, with damage particularly bad this year.
At the end of last month, Typhoon Bawi – the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane – swept through western North Korea. After the hurricane, North Korean state media reported that dozens of buildings were damaged, and electricity and water systems were affected.
CNN’s Junko Ogura contributed to the report from Tokyo.
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