Typhoon lashes central Japan with torrential rain, fierce winds and landslides, killing two
Typhoon Talas on Saturday lashed central Japan with torrential rain and fierce winds, killing two and leaving tens of thousands of households without power.
The Kyodo news agency reported that Shizuoka city in Tokyo was hit especially hard, seeing a record 417 mm (16.42 inches) of precipitation since the rain started on Thursday.
Two people who died were identified as men in their 20s and 40s. The former died in a landslide whereas the latter was found dead after his car plunged into a reservoir.
Japan’s Chubu Electric Power Grid Co also revealed that the power was cut to about 120,000 households in the city, adding that a landslide had knocked over two electricity pylons.
"We apologise deeply for the inconvenience caused by this power outage,” the company wrote on Twitter. “The outage is being prolonged due to landslides, among other factors, but we are doing all we can to fix it as swiftly as possible.”
By Saturday afternoon, power had returned to the majority of households, though some 2,800 were still without power.
The supplier estimated that it would take a few months for the pylons to be restored.
Yokohama city, some 30km south of Tokyo, also issued an evacuation advisory at about noon on Saturday to about 3,000 residents.
Additional reporting by outlets
