Typhoon Talas hits Japan: 2 dead, thousands without power

Thousands were without running water and power in central Japan on Sunday after Typhoon Talas dumped record rains on the region, triggering floods and landslides, and leaving at least two dead.

The body of a man in Kakegawa city, Shizuoka region, was pulled from what remained of his house on Saturday after a landslide destroyed it, a regional disaster management official told AFP.

“Another male (in neighbouring Fukuroi city) was driving to his home (Saturday) when the water level rose and his vehicle apparently stopped. While the individual tried to walk home, he was believed to have died,” the official said.

Another man was still missing in Kawanehoncho town in Shizuoka after his vehicle fell into a hole that opened up in the roadway, he said, adding that three others suffered minor injuries.

Typhoon Talas battered central Japan on Friday and Saturday as it swept by just off the Pacific coast, dumping more than 40 centimetres (16 inches) of rain in a 24-hour period in communities in Shizuoka, according to Japan Meteorological Agency.

It was downgraded to a depression Saturday morning before moving back out to the Pacific.

Heavy rain from the storm sparked landslides, including in remote mountains in Shizuoka, causing several electricity pylons to fall and snap, resulting in as many as 120,000 households losing power Saturday.

As of Sunday afternoon, 2,910 households in Shizuoka and the neighbouring Gifu region were still without power, according to regional utility Chubu Electric Power.

“As for those areas where restoration crews are not able to reach due to blocked roads after landslides, we will make progress while analysing the conditions of the landslides,” the utility said.

Around 55,000 households in Shizuoka were without running water after debris clogged a water inlet.

Municipal officials were working with the coastguard to provide clean water to residents.

“Currently, we are working to remove debris from a water inlet. But for now we are unable to give any estimate as to when it can be restored,” the regional government said in a statement Sunday morning.

Japan routinely experiences severe damage from typhoons in summer and autumn.

Last weekend, Typhoon Nanmadol slammed into southwestern Japan, killing four people and injuring 147 others.