Typhoon Shanshan barrels up Japan as five reported dead

OITA, Japan: As its reported death toll climbed to five, Typhoon Shanshan slowly barreled up the Japanese archipelago on Friday ( Aug 30 ), dumping torrential rains and wreak havoc on transportation.

The tornado, one of the strongest to strike Japan in years, had weakened by early dawn, though winds were still reaching 126kmh.

A flood caused by the heavy rains that followed it killed three members of the same family later on Tuesday in Aichi district, about 1, 000 kilometers away, yet before making ashore on the island of Kyushu.

A person who was last seen on a small vessel in Kyushu and a man whose two-storey home partly collapsed in Tokushima province on the nearby island of Shikoku were the two reported victims.

At least 81 others have been hurt, many of whom have been caused by broken glasses when the typhoon slammed into Kyushu on Thursday with winds of up to 252kmh and smashed windows and ripped stones off buildings.

More than five million people were advised to remove, but it was unclear how some did, which is their highest notice in many areas.

Officials urged residents to acquire “immediate measures” to ensure health, such as moving to higher floors after a nearby valley flooded, as far away as the city of Ninomiya near Tokyo.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that some parts of Kyushu experienced record-breaking rainfall in August, with Misato, Misato, recording a remarkable 791.5mm in 48 days.

More than 250, 000 Kyushu households were affected by power outages, but the power operator reported on Friday that simply 6, 500 were still without power as a result of professionals ‘ repairs to damaged transmission lines.

Overnight, several roads were fully or partially closed in Kyushu, as well as others farther away, press reviews said.