Powerful Typhoon Jebi Leaves Trail of Death and Destruction in Japan
By Ryan General
Typhoon Jebi, which made landfall in Japan on Tuesday, has left a trail of destruction in its path, cutting electricity, damaging homes, destroying infrastructure and killing at least 11 people.
Considered the strongest typhoon to hit the country in 25 years, Jebi caused massive flooding that disrupted both land and air travel through the western Japanese region.
Powerful winds also caused a fuel tanker to hit and damage a bridge connecting the mainland to Kansai International Airport, a busy transport hub built on a man-made island, according to Reuters.
Over 600 domestic flights scheduled for Tuesday in Kansai were canceled due to the incident, leaving thousands temporarily trapped.
The airport, which serves Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto, had 3,000 passengers stranded overnight in terminals without power. Authorities evacuated them using ferries and speedboats on Wednesday.
According to the Kansai airport website, the runways and bridge may reopen on “September 5 or later.“
Many businesses in the region suspended operations including electronics factories and car manufacturers on Tuesday, according to Kyodo News agency. A seaside dealership in Hyogo prefecture lost about 100 cars in a fire after their electrical systems were shorted out by sea water.
Among those who died was a man in his 70s who was blown from his apartment to the ground in Osaka prefecture. Based on local police reports, five others were killed either by being hit by flying objects or by falling from their apartments. A storage building collapsed on a 71-year-old man in Shiga prefecture, while another man in his 70s died after falling from a roof in Mie.
Featured image via YouTube/NHK World
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