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WEATHER-JAPAN-TYPHOON
Japan rescuers seek survivors after Typhoon Hagibis kills 35
TOKYO, Oct 14, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Tens of thousands of rescue workers were
searching Monday for survivors of powerful Typhoon Hagibis, two days after
the storm slammed into Japan, killing at least 35 people.
Hagibis crashed into the country on Saturday night, but brought hours of
heavy rains even before it arrived, causing landslides and filling rivers
until they burst their banks.
The destruction forced the Rugby World Cup being hosted by Japan to cancel
several games, but the “Brave Blossoms”, as the national team is known,
lifted spirits with a stunning 28-21 victory over Scotland on Sunday that put
them into the quarter-finals of the tournament for the first time.
More than 110,000 rescuers, including 31,000 troops, worked through the
night and into Monday, a national holiday, searching for people trapped by
the disaster.
Local media said at least 35 people had been killed, with the Kyodo news
agency reporting nearly 20 people were missing. Government figures from
Sunday night were lower, though updates were expected on Monday.
While Hagibis, one of the most powerful storms to hit the Tokyo area in
decades, packed wind gusts of up to 216 kilometres per hours (134 miles per
hour), it was the heavy rains that caused most damage, with 21 rivers
bursting their banks.
In central Nagano, a levee breach sent water from the Chikuma river
gushing into residential neighbourhoods, flooding homes up to the second
floor.
Military and fire department helicopters winched survivors from roofs and
balconies in several locations, but in Fukushima one operation went
tragically awry when a woman died after falling while being rescued.
– ‘Saving lives top priority’ –
Elsewhere, rescuers used boats during an hours-long operation to retrieve
hundreds of people trapped in a retirement home in Kawagoe, northwest of
Tokyo, when floodwaters inundated the building.
One elderly woman wearing an orange life vest was carried from a boat on
the back of a rescuer. Others were hoisted into wheelchairs and pushed along
a muddy shore after arriving by boat.
Rescue efforts were continuing on Monday morning, with local television
showing soldiers rowing a rubber rescue dingy through floodwaters in
Fukushima, while elsewhere workers removed dirt with a digger.
The death toll mounted throughout the day Sunday as bodies were recovered
from flooded homes and cars, buildings caught in landslides, and swollen
rivers.
The dead included a municipal worker whose car was overcome by floodwaters
and at least five Chinese crew members aboard a boat that sank in Tokyo Bay
on Saturday night. “Twelve crew were on board. Five Chinese have been found
dead,” a coastguard official told AFP.
He said four other crew, from China, Myanmar and Vietnam, had been rescued
and search operations resumed at daybreak for the remaining three members.
“We plan to dispatch 11 boats, two helicopters and a dozen divers to the
site. We are trying our best,” he added.
– Japan dedicates rugby win to victims –
On Monday morning, some 57,500 households remained without power, with
120,000 experiencing water outages.
The disaster left tens of thousands of people in shelters, with many
unsure when they would be able to return home.
“Everything from my house was washed away before my eyes, I wasn’t sure if
it was a dream or real,” a woman in Nagoya told national broadcaster NHK.
“I feel lucky I’m still alive.”
The storm brought travel chaos over the holiday weekend, grounding flights
and halting commuter and bullet train services.
By Monday, most subway trains had resumed service, along with many bullet
train lines, and flights had also restarted.
The storm also brought havoc to the sporting world, forcing the delay of
Japanese Grand Prix qualifiers and the cancellation of three Rugby World Cup
matches.
But a crucial decider pitting Japan against Scotland went ahead, with the
hosts dedicating their win to the victims of the disaster.
“To everyone that’s suffering from the typhoon, this game was for you
guys,” said Japan captain Michael Leitch.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0828 hrs