August 30, 2024
TOKYO – A boat captain was missing and more than 41 people were injured across southern Kyushu on Thursday as powerful typhoon Shanshan landed in Satsuma-Sendai, Kagoshima Prefecture, at around 8 a.m., according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
The 64-year-old captain went missing Wednesday evening after his boat sank off Kagoshima City, according to the Japan Coast Guard.
Separately, five family members were discovered in the small hours of Thursday after a landslide caused by heavy rainfall destroyed their house Tuesday evening, according to local authorities. Two were injured and three were confirmed dead.
Shanshan, also known as Typhoon No. 10, slightly weakened after its landfall. As of 9 a.m., it was moving north-northeast at 15 kph around Izumi, Kagoshima Prefecture, with a central pressure of 960 hectopascals and a wind speed of 144 kph.
As of 9 a.m. on Thursday, 41 people were reported injured in Kumamoto, Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures, according to a tally by The Yomiuri Shimbun. Later, another 10 people were taken to hospitals after buildings were collapsed or damaged by wind gusts in Miyazaki Prefecture.
According to Kyushu Electric Power Co., blackouts hit about 250,000 households in its service areas as of 8 a.m. on Thursday.
The JMA said the town of Misato, Miyazaki Prefecture, had a rainfall of 701.5 millimeters from Tuesday through 7 a.m. on Thursday. The figures stood at 640 millimeters for Ebino in the prefecture and 564.5 millimeters for the town of Kinko, Kagoshima Prefecture. These figures were 10% to 80% more than average rainfall for the entire month of August for the locations.
A maximum instantaneous wind speed of 185 kph was recorded in Makurazaki, Kagoshima Prefecture.
Maximum expected rainfalls for the 24 hours to 6 a.m. Friday were forecasted to reach 600 millimeters in southern Kyushu, 400 millimeters in northern Kyushu and Shikoku, 300 millimeters in the Tokai region and 200 millimeters in the Kinki and Kanto regions, as well as in Yamanashi and Nagano prefectures.
West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) planned to suspend services between Hiroshima Station and Hakata Station in Fukuoka starting around 5 p.m. on Thursday, the operator announced earlier that day. Some services would also be suspended between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima stations.
Services between Shin-Osaka and Hakata stations could be suspended from Friday through Saturday, either for the entire section or part of it, JR West also said.
On the Tokaido Shinkansen high-speed railway, all services will be suspended for Friday between Nagoya Station and Mishima Station in Shizuoka Prefecture, according to Central Japan Railway Co. The number of services will significantly be reduced between Tokyo and Mishima stations, as well as those between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka stations, the operator added.
By 8 a.m. Thursday, Japan Airlines had decided to cancel 275 domestic flights for the day, while the figure stood at 212 as of 9:30 a.m. for All Nippon Airways. The carriers planned to cancel some flights scheduled for Friday.