Typhoon Jebi made landfall around noon local time, slamming into the west of the country packing winds of up to 216 kilometres (135 miles) per hour.
TOKYO: The strongest typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years tore across the country’s southwest on Tuesday, leaving at least 8 people dead and hundreds injured, while wreaking havoc on transport.
Dozens of Hongkongers were among those left stranded after strong winds and high waves unleashed by Typhoon Jebi shut down Kansai International Airport – Japan’s third busiest – and caused a ship to smash into a bridge, severing road and rail links between the airport and the main island of Honshu.
Winds of up to 209 kilometers per hour early Tuesday afternoon raked the airport, where one of the two runways and basement floor of a terminal building flooded and around 5,000 people were stranded, according to local authorities.
Flights and train services were canceled in the Kinki region and elsewhere, while factories and commercial facilities such as Universal Studios Japan, a popular theme park in Osaka, were closed.
Dozens of other ships were swept from their moorings in Kobe-Osaka Port but the crews are all apparently safe, according to the coast guard.Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was forced to cancel a planned visit to southwestern prefectures on Tuesday.
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.
Nearly 800 flights were cancelled, including several international flights departing and arriving at Nagoya and Osaka, along with ferries, local train services and some bullet train lines.
