Typhoon takes a high toll in Japan

RESCUE: TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS HELPING OUT

Scores killed and about 100 000 homes left without power.

Japan sent tens of thousands of troops and rescue workers yesterday to save stranded residents and fight floods caused by one of the worst typhoons to hit the country in recent history.

At least 30 people were killed in the typhoon that left vast sections of towns under water, public broadcaster NHK said.

Another 15 were missing and 177 injured by Typhoon Hagibis, which paralysed Tokyo on Saturday and dumped record levels of rain around Japan. About 100 000 homes were left without power.

Rescue efforts were hindered after more than 20 rivers in central and northeastern Japan burst their banks and dozens more overflowed although their banks were still in tact, NHK said, adding that flooding rivers could cause more damage.

Evacuation centres filled with residents, while some people perished as they sought shelter, NHK said, adding that a 77-yearold woman fell about 40m to her death during an airlift.

Some of the worst damage hit the central city of Nagano, where the Chikuma River inundated swaths of land and forced military helicopters to airlift people from homes.

Kiyokazu Shimokawa, 71, speaking at an evacuation centre, said he had waited all night with his wife and mother until they were finally rescued around 3pm.

“I made the mistake of figuring that as long as we were on the second floor of the house, we’d be fine. When we realised that maybe we should evacuate, it was too late – the water rose very quickly.”

Rie Hasegaw said she never imagined her landlocked town would be inundated. “The force of the water was incredible. It was dark, frightening, and I thought this might be the end,” she said.

Typhoon Hagibis, which means “speed” in the Philippine language Tagalog, made landfall on Japan’s main island of Honshu on Saturday evening and headed out to sea early yesterday.

The storm sank a Panama-registered cargo ship that had anchored near Tokyo. The sunken ship was located early yesterday. A newspaper reported that at least five of the 12 crew were dead and three were missing.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held an emergency ministerial meeting and sent the minister in charge of disaster management to affected areas. The government also set up a task force to deal with the damage. – Reuters

Picture: AFP HIGH GROUND. Fire department workers evacuate residents from a flooded area in Date, Fukushima, one day after typhoon Hagibis swept through central and eastern Japan. At least 20 people are dead and 15 others are missing, officials said.