Typhoon Khanun leaves 2 dead, 41 injured in Japan; over 220,000 homes sans power

In Japan, on Wednesday (August 2nd), hundreds of thousands were left without electricity as Typhoon Khanun packed with powerful winds and lashing rain, approachedthe island nation.

Fatalities reported due to 'very strong' typhoon

As per news agency AFP, two person were reportedly killed as Typhoon Khanun, which has been described by the Japanese weather agency as "very strong" brought maximum sustained wind speeds of 180 kilometre (around 112 miles) an hour.

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Due to the typhoon, hundreds of flights to Okinawa and other islands in the area were cancelled, leaving thousands of tourists enjoying their holiday in the region's topical beach resorts stranded.

On Wednesday, more than 400 flights were cancelled on Wednesday, which affected more than 65,000 passengers.

Hoping to make their way back home, tourists were seen queueing at Okinawa's main Naha airport.

"We haven't been able to secure a hotel and we don't know when the return flight can be booked," said a tourist, Minako Kawakami talking to local daily Okinawa Times.

According to Okinawa's power company, nearly 35 per cent of the total families in the region or 220,580 households were left with no electricity early on Wednesday.

Evacuation efforts

Across Okinawa and the southern part of the Kagoshima region, an evacuation warning was put in place. As per the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, they've urged more than 690,000 residents to move to safety.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that a 90-year-old man died after getting trapped under a collapsed bridge on Tuesday evening. As per the report, strong winds were probably the cause. Another fatalitywas also reported from Okinawa, however, the exact cause of death is yet to be disclosed.

Further, 41 people were reported injured in Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures, reports The Guardian.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has also warned of flooding and landslides in some parts of the main island of Okinawa.

At around 2300 GMT, the typhoon was about 70 kilometres south of Okinawa's remote Kumejima island. It was moving west-northwest, reported the Japan Meteorological Agency, adding that it was expected to cross to eastern China later in the week.

(With inputs from agencies)

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