Typhoon batters Japan, leaves 10 people killed
TOKYO — One of Japan’s busiest airports remained closed indefinitely after the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in at least 25 years flooded a runway and other facilities while damaging other infrastructure and causing at least 10 deaths as it swept across part of Japan’s main island.
More than 400,000 households in western and central Japan were without power Wednesday, a day after Typhoon Jebi struck with sustained winds of 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour) at landfall. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at least 10 people were confirmed dead and about 300 people were injured.
A tanker that became unmoored by the typhoon’s pounding waves and wind slammed into a bridge linking offshore Kansai International Airport to the mainland, damaging the bridge and the ship and stranded 3,000 passengers overnight at the airport. Under sunny skies Wednesday morning, they left by boat or were transported by buses across an intact road on the damaged bridge.
The airport is built on two artificial islands in Osaka Bay, and the high seas flooded one of the runways, cargo storage and other facilities, said the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. One passenger was slightly injured by shards from a window shattered by the storm.
Airport officials could not say when the airport would resume operations. Flooding has largely subsided, but assessments were still being done on possible damage to equipment key to flight operations and repairs of the damaged bridge.
The airport is a gateway for Asian tourists visiting Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. A closure of the only international airport serving one of Japan’s key business and commercial areas has triggered concerns about its impact on Japan’s tourism and economy.
The passengers who had been stranded overnight appeared relieved but exhausted and said they spent an uneasy night in the dark.