Typhoon Hagibis: Japan military deployed as monster storm death toll climbs
- At least 33 people have been killed as a result of powerful Typhoon Hagibis that slammed into Japan
- The storm’s ‘unprecedented’ heavy rain triggered deadly landslides and caused rivers to burst their banks
Japan’s military scrambled on Sunday to rescue people trapped by flooding after powerful Typhoon Hagibis ripped across the country, killing at least 33 people and leaving more than a dozen missing.
The storm’s heavy rain triggered deadly landslides and caused rivers to burst their banks. The destruction forced Rugby World Cup organisers to cancel the third match of the tournament though the key Japan-Scotland clash went ahead.
By Sunday morning, the significantly weakened storm had moved back off land, but serious flooding was reported in central Japan’s Nagano, where a burst levee sent water from the Chikuma river gushing into residential neighbourhoods, flooding homes up to the second floor.
Japan’s military deployed 27,000 troops to aid rescue operations, including some in helicopters who winched people from the roofs and balconies of flooded homes in Nagano.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe convened emergency meeting of relevant ministers and dispatched the minister in charge of disaster management to the worst-hit areas. He offered condolences to the families of those who died and said the government was working to save people’s lives and property.