At least three dead, thousands evacuated as Typhoon Shanshan hits southwest Japan

Millions of residents in southwest Japan were ordered to evacuate their homes on Thursday as Typhoon Shanshan unleashed devastating winds and torrential rain, leading to power outages, severe disruptions in transportation, and the closure of major factories.

The powerful storm, which is feared to be one of the most intense to strike the region, has already claimed at least three lives and caused numerous injuries, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Typhoon Shanshan, with gusts reaching up to 50 meters per second (180 km/h or 112 mph), made landfall near Unzen City in Nagasaki Prefecture around 1:45 p.m. local time (0445 GMT), moving north at approximately 15 km/h, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The typhoon's impact was particularly severe in Miyazaki City on Kyushu Island, where strong winds shattered windows and damaged buildings.

Funeral parlour employee Tomoki Maeda, who was caught in a hearse during the storm, described the experience: "I've never experienced such a strong wind or tornado in my 31 years of life."

By the afternoon, approximately 230,000 households across seven prefectures were without electricity, reported Kyushu Electric Power Co. The Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Satsumasendai city, where the storm initially made landfall, reported no immediate impact on its operations.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi confirmed that three people had died and one was missing due to the typhoon, while the disaster management agency reported 45 injuries. The storm is expected to remain over Kyushu for several days before moving towards central and eastern Japan, including Tokyo, over the weekend.

In response to the storm, more than 5.2 million people have received evacuation notices nationwide. Hotels, such as one run by Madoka Kubo in the historic city of Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, have been repurposed to shelter elderly evacuees, with all reservations cancelled.

Airlines including ANA Holdings and Japan Airlines have cancelled nearly 800 flights, while train services across Kyushu have been suspended. Hundreds of bus and ferry routes have also been halted, according to the transport ministry.

Typhoon Shanshan follows Typhoon Ampil, which also caused widespread blackouts and evacuations earlier this month. The situation remains fluid as the storm continues to impact the region.