Typhoon Shanshan, which made its landfall on Thursday in Japan, has dumped heavy rain that left at least four people dead and dozens more injured and caused the suspension of flights and bullet train services.
The storm ripped through the southwestern Japanese island of Kyushu after making landfall on Thursday morning in Kagoshima prefecture. At least four people have been killed, more than 90 injured and one missing as of the early hours of Friday morning, according to local media outlet NHK.
Shanshan, the 10th typhoon of the year, has brought strong winds and torrential rain across large swathes of the country, disrupting businesses and transportation services.
Kokura Station, a major transportation hub in Kitakyushu City of northern Kyushu, used to be bustling with travelers. Now nearly all facilities here are shut down in the wake of Typhoon Shanshan.
Railway operators on Thursday halted all bullet trains for the Kyushu network and the Tokaido Shinkansen that runs between Tokyo Station and Shin-Osaka Station. The West Kyushu Shinkansen also suspended operations on Thursday and Friday.
As a result of the powerful typhoon, passengers on the Tokyo-Hiroshima rail line were left stranded in train for nearly 13 hours. In the end, the train was canceled and returned to Tokyo Station.
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, two of the country's largest carriers, have canceled 1,127 domestic flights scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
Local businesses also took a hit. Nearly all major supermarkets and shops in Kyushu have closed their doors. In the prefectures of Kagoshima and Miyazaki alone, about 2,400 outlets of Japan's top three convenience store chains have been forced to suspend businesses. Residents here are feeling the effects.
"I knew the typhoon was coming, but I didn't expect it to be so severe. Now stores are closed, and I don't know where to go for food. I’m supposed to return [to Chiba] on Saturday, but I'm really worried that the Shinkansen train service will be suspended because of the typhoon. It's so annoying," a man told CCTV.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the typhoon's center was near Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu as of 22:00 local time Thursday as it was making its way northeast. It is expected to sweep across Kyushu on Friday before continuing eastward toward the West Japan region on Saturday. The impact area of the typhoon is expected to expand further over the next two days..
Four dead, dozens injured as Typhoon Shanshan lashes Japan
Four dead, dozens injured as Typhoon Shanshan lashes Japan
Four dead, dozens injured as Typhoon Shanshan lashes Japan
