Typhoon “Shanshan“ caused the death of up to six people in Japan, France Press reported, citing government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi, quoted by BTA.
He specified that the deaths of three people who died in a mudslide have been confirmed so far. Authorities are investigating whether a fourth death is directly related to the typhoon, and two more people are missing and presumed dead.
Earlier, Japan's disaster management agency, cited by Reuters, reported at least three dead and 78 injured.
„Shanshan“ brought torrential rains to much of Japan, prompting flood and landslide warnings hundreds of kilometers from the eye of the storm, Reuters reported. Travel in Japan has also been affected by the natural disaster, as has production at major factories.
On the southwestern island of Kyushu, a landslide occurred, people returned to their homes, streets fell silent and shops closed. According to local authorities “Shanshan“ it may be one of the strongest storms to hit Kyushu since records were kept.
„Shanshan“ has lost some of its strength and is currently near the coastal city of Kunisaki in Oita Prefecture, moving northeast with sustained winds of 180 km/h.
About 125,000 households in seven prefectures on the island are without power, the local electricity company said.
Evacuation alerts have been issued for more than four million people in the country, mainly for the Kyushu region, but also for the capital Tokyo and the nearby city of Yokohama. The authorities in Yokohama announced that there is a risk of landslides due to the heavy rains.
After passing through the island of Kyushu, the typhoon is expected to head over the weekend to central and eastern Japan, including the capital Tokyo.
„Toyota“ stopped work at all its factories because of the storm, and “Nissan“, “Honda“ and “Sonny” temporarily suspended operations in some of them.
Air carriers, including Japan Airlines, announced the cancellation of flights to hundreds of domestic and international destinations. Many ferries and trains, including the bullet train between Tokyo and Nagoya, have been canceled this morning.