By Typhoon Shanshan has claimed at least six lives as it slowly moved eastward through Japan on Saturday, bringing torrential rains and triggering landslide and flood warnings across a wide swath of the country.
The storm, which made landfall in Kyushu on Thursday, has brought record-breaking rainfall to parts of southwestern Japan. National broadcaster NHK aired footage showing partially destroyed homes and vehicles navigating flooded roads in the region.
Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported that in addition to the six fatalities, one person remains missing and over 100 have been injured. The agency also noted that more than 35,000 homes in Kagoshima prefecture, southern Kyushu, were without power, according to Kyushu Electric.
As of 12:50 p.m. local time (0350 GMT), Shanshan was centered in the Pacific Ocean approximately 480 kilometers (300 miles) southwest of Tokyo. Despite being downgraded to a tropical storm on Friday, it continued to trigger heavy rainfall as far north as Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost prefecture. Wind gusts of up to 25 meters per second (90 kph, 55 mph) were recorded.
The storm’s arrival has prompted authorities to issue flood and landslide warnings throughout the country, leading to the suspension of air and rail services and the closure of factories.
While Shanshan is forecast to weaken to a tropical depression over the weekend, NHK reported that it is expected to continue bringing heavy rain to many areas.
