Powerful typhoon slams into Japan, 2 die
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TOKYO — A powerful typhoon tore through Japan's main island Thursday, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights, peeling off roofs and cutting electricity to hundreds of thousands before turning back toward the sea. Two men died and dozens were injured.
Typhoon Melor hit the country's main island early Thursday with strong winds. The storm flooded roads and homes, toppled trees and power lines and heavily damaged some buildings.
Nearly 30 people were injured across the country and more than 11,000 people were evacuated to shelters, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
A man died when his motorbike slammed into a downed tree in the coastal prefecture of Wakayama, and another died was killing by a falling tree just north of Tokyo, local police said.
The storm smashed walls and windows, damaged buildings and toppled large trucks on highways as it moved northeast. News broadcasts showed partially submerged cars, bridges destroyed by the flooding, and large shipping containers scattered by the strong wind.
Electric power was gradually being restored Thursday morning to the more than 500,000 homes that had been cut off during the storm, according to Japan's power companies.
In Tokyo, train operators delayed or canceled service on many lines, stranding workers across the city during the busy morning rush hour. About 2.3 million commuters were affected as service on all major overland lines was suspended in the morning, according to operator East Japan Railway Co. Strong winds forced some trains to stop midway between stations and unload passengers.
The usually punctual subways ran intermittently throughout the morning, according to Tokyo Metro Co.
The country's major airlines said at least 400 domestic flights and 20 international flights had been canceled due to the storm.
Some coastal highways were closed due to strong winds, and news footage showed large waves crashing over storm barriers onto roads.
By Thursday afternoon, the storm had moved north of Tokyo, where skies cleared and the weather turned balmy, and was nearing Fukushima, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo.
Winds were blowing at about 70 miles (110 kilometers) per hour, with gusts up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour.
The typhoon weakened slightly as it moved north and was due to veer off the eastern coast Thursday evening.
Associated Press Writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.
Source: The Associated Press
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