Typhoon Jebi leaves a trail of death and destruction in Japan
At least seven dead and hundreds injured as strongest typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years wreaks havoc, causes transport chaos and shuts down Kansai Airport
The strongest typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years tore across the country’s southwest on Tuesday, leaving at least seven 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.
The collision severed road and rail links between the airport and the main island of Honshu, and left 3,000 people stranded in the airport.
Tokyo issued evacuation advisories for more than 1 million people as Jebi, named after the Korean word for “swallow”, brought death and destruction to the country, which has already been battered by killer rains, floods, landslides and a record-breaking heatwave this summer.
“I urge the Japanese people to take action to protect your lives, including preparing and evacuating early,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.
Packing winds of up to 216km/h (135mph), Jebi was the most powerful storm since 1993, the weather agency said.