Typhoon Shanshan devastates Japan: 6 dead, 127 injured

Typhoon Shanshan slammed into Shikoku and moved towards the Kii Peninsula on August 31, unleashing relentless rain across Japan. 

As of 9 a.m., there have been six fatalities, 127 injuries, and one person reported missing, Caliber.Az reports, citing Japanese media.

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced that Shanshan was about 50 kilometres south-southwest of Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture, moving east-southeast at 15 kph. The typhoon's central pressure was recorded at 996 hectopascals, with wind speeds reaching up to 18 meters per second.

In the 48 hours before Saturday morning, rainfall surpassed 400 millimetres in parts of Kyushu, Shikoku, Tokai, and Kanto. Forecasts predict an additional 300 millimetres of rain in Tokai, 200 millimetres in Kinki, and 150 millimetres in Kanto-Koshin by 6 a.m. Sunday.

While Shanshan is expected to weaken to a tropical depression by Monday, heavy rainfall will continue. The JMA warns of possible flooding and landslides, with an additional 400 millimetres of rain expected in Tokai.

Transportation has been severely impacted, with the Tokaido Shinkansen halting service between Tokyo and Nagoya. Although some services have resumed between Tokyo and Mishima, the segment between Mishima and Nagoya remains suspended. Trains between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka are operating at reduced frequencies.

The latest reports confirm six deaths across Aichi, Tokushima, Fukuoka, and Saga prefectures, with one person missing in Kagoshima Prefecture, according to The Yomiuri Shimbun.