Typhon Talas Kills 15 in Japan

Typhon Talas Kills 15 in Japan

Tokyo - At least 15 were killed as powerful and destructive Typhoon Talas moved towards the northward part of Japan Sunday due to heavy rains and several mudslides across the country. 43 other people were reported missing, local media announced.

460,000 residents in central and western Japan were mandatorily evacuated as the storm continues to strengthen. A bridge was swept away due to heavy and intense rainfall as shown in TV footages from NHK. People were forced to wade through flooded residential areas and city streets.

Japan Meteorological Agency reported that the center of the typhoon is at the northern part of the Sea of Japan. Typhoon Talas has crossed Shikoku, southern Japanese island, and in the central part of Hoshu main island Sunday. The agency has warned the Japanese public that heavy rainfall and strong winds will continue to prevail as the storm slows down in speed leading more severe flooding and several landslides.

In Wakayama prefecture, 3 houses were buried due to a landslide. A 14 year old girl was safely rescued from the site, while a woman was also rescued but later on died due to injuries suffered. 4 other people were reported missing while rescuers intensified search and rescue operations amid strong rains. 10 people died and 32 others missing in Wakayama, the hardest hit prefecture, according to the authorities. In Nara, the nearby prefecture, 7 people were missing according to reports after their homes were swept away by a raging river. In Ehime prefecture, a woman’s dead body was found in a river.

Posted by James Fried on Monday September 05 2011, 1:28 AM EST. Ref: Yahoo. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0