3 missing after Typhoon Shanshan triggers landslide in Japan
The Japan Meteorological Agency noted in their latest advisory that the slow-moving typhoon is currently classified as “very strong," or the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane.
FILE: Rescue operations underway after deadly landslides in India
Nearly 1,000 people have been rescued after landslides in the hills of Wayanad district in India's Kerala state, authorities said Wednesday, with at least 165 people dead and many still missing.
Typhoon Shanshan brought heavy rains to the town of Gamagori in central Japan Tuesday night, triggering a landslide that crashed through a home with five family members inside, according to a local report.
A Gamagori official said two women in their 40s were rescued, but a couple in their 70s and a man in his 30s are still missing.
This photo shows rescue workers outside a house that was hit by a landslide in Gamagori, Aichi prefecture on August 28, 2024.
(STR / JIJI Press / AFP / Getty Images)
Japanese residents are bracing themselves for Shanshan, which has yet to make landfall.
As of about 11:19 p.m. local time Wednesday, Japan Meteorological Agency officials said Shanshan is expected to make landfall in Japan’s southernmost region of Kyushu by Aug. 30.
They noted in their latest advisory that the slow-moving typhoon is currently classified as "very strong," or the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane.
Map showing location of Typhoon Shanshan.
(Japan Meteorological Agency / FOX Weather)
Because the typhoon is moving slowly, officials said strong winds and heavy rainfall are expected to continue for a long time, particularly in western Japan. Additionally, the total rainfall is expected to be large, with estimates of up to two feet of rain.
Kyushu, where Shanshan is forecast to make landfall, is at risk of record-breaking strong winds, high tides, high waves and heavy rain.
With these conditions, widespread flooding and even more landslides are anticipated, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
This photo shows rescue workers outside a house that was hit by a landslide in Gamagori, Aichi prefecture on August 28, 2024.
(STR / JIJI Press / AFP / Getty Images)
The typhoon has already interrupted travel around the country, as airlines have canceled flights and the high-speed rail service Shinkansen has also canceled service ahead of the storm.
Prime Minister Fumio Kashida urged residents to prepare and seek shelter ahead of Shanshan.
"It will be difficult to evacuate once the storm has arrived," he posted on X, formerly Twitter. "We ask that people living in areas expected to flood or be at risk of landslides evacuate as soon as possible."