Japan typhoon kills at least six
Scores hurt as tropical storm batters Asian nation, packing winds of up to 216km
The strongest typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years killed at least six people and injured more than 160 on Tuesday.
At least 164 people were injured, most of them slightly, public broadcaster NHK said.
The typhoon battered the west of the country with violent winds and heavy rainfall.
The strong gusts ripped sheeting from rooftops, toppled trucks on bridges and swept a tanker anchored in Osaka bay into a nearby bridge running to the Kansai International Airport.
High waves whipped up by the storm also flooded parts of the seaside airport, where all flights were cancelled, and the severe weather caused power outages and travel chaos across much of the country.
Nearly 800 flights were cancelled, including several international flights departing and arriving at Nagoya and Osaka, along with ferries, train services and some bullet train lines.
Typhoon Jebi made landfall at about noon in Japan, slamming into the west of the country, packing winds of up to 216km/h.
The fast-moving storm quickly crossed the country, and by nightfall was on the verge of leaving land and heading out to sea from Ishikawa in central Japan.
In Osaka, television footage showed a large tanker that smashed into the bridge connecting the city of Izumisano with Kansai airport, with the ship knocking away a part of the bridge.
There were no reports of injuries. The airport was closed after runways and parts of its basement were flooded by high waves, a transport ministry official confirmed.
NHK also showed footage of a 100m-tall ferris wheel in Osaka turning furiously in the strong wind despite being switched off.
“I’m surprised that the switched-off ferris wheel began to move with the strong wind. I’ve never seen such a thing,” a 19-year-old man at the scene told the public broadcaster.
Elsewhere, the winds whipped away part of the ceiling from Kyoto station and peeled off multi-storey scaffolding attached to a building in Osaka. More than one-million households were left without power – and evacuation advisories were issued for nearly 1.2-million people, though only a further 16,000 were under stronger – though still not mandatory – evacuation orders.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had urged people to evacuate early and ordered his government to take all necessary measures to protect residents, after the weather agency warned of landslides, flooding and violent winds, as well as high tides, lightning and tornadoes.
“I urge the Japanese people to take action to protect your lives, including preparing and evacuating early,” he said.
Arriving on land, Jebi had winds of up to 162km/h at its centre, making it an extremely strong typhoon, the weather agency's chief forecaster, Ryuta Kurora, said, adding that it was the strongest since 1993.
The wind was strong enough to topple traditionalstyle wooden houses as well as power poles, and people in affected areas were urged to avoid non-essential travel.
Primary and middle schools in the storm’s path were closed while regional businesses also reacted quickly.
Universal Studios Japan in Osaka shutted down for Tuesday along with factories for several large manufacturers. –