Japan’s strongest typhoon in 25 years kills 6, injures many

 

JAPAN has been hit by its strongest typhoon in 25 years, causing at least six deaths and 160 injuries.

 

Typhoon Jebi made landfall in western areas, bringing heavy rain and reports of winds up to 172km/h (107mph).

In Osaka Bay, it swept a tanker into a bridge and in Kyoto parts of a railway station roof came down, BBC reported.

Officials ordered more than a million people in affected areas to evacuate their homes amid warnings of high waves, flooding and mudslides.

It has already left tens of thousands without power and authorities have urged people to move to safety.

The storm made landfall on Shikoku island around noon on Tuesday local time and then moved across Japan’s largest main island of Honshu.

It is expected to weaken as it moves north.

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Jebi is the first typhoon classed as “very strong” by the country’s weather agency to make landfall on Japan’s main islands since a typhoon left 48 people dead or missing in 1993, Kyodo reports.

Hundreds of flights, trains and ferries have had to be cancelled.

Flooding covered the runways at Kansai International Airport in Osaka, which is built on a man-made island in a bay.

Universal Studios Japan, a popular amusement park near Osaka, was closed.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe convened an emergency meeting and called on people “to take action to protect your lives, including preparing and evacuating early”.

Footage from the storm making landfall showed giant waves crashing against the coastline, and flying debris.

Japan’s weather agency has warned of possible landslides, flooding and violent winds, as well as high tides, lightning and tornadoes in the areas affected.

The country is regularly struck by major storms and this summer has been one of extreme weather.

In July landslides and massive floods – the worst in decades – killed more than 200 people. That was followed by a record deadly heatwave.