Japan pieces together scale of disaster as typhoon toll rises to 66

A vehicle sits in front of a home destroyed by Typhoon Hagibis Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019, in Nagano, Japan. More victims and more damage have been found in typhoon-hit areas of central and northern Japan, where rescue crews are searching for people still missing. Photo: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong.

A vehicle sits in front of a home destroyed by Typhoon Hagibis Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019, in Nagano, Japan. More victims and more damage have been found in typhoon-hit areas of central and northern Japan, where rescue crews are searching for people still missing. Photo: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong.

Published Oct 15, 2019

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Tokyo - The death toll from Typhoon Hagibis, one of the most

powerful typhoons to hit Japan in decades, has risen to 66,

broadcaster NHK reported.

The storm dumped record rainfall across wide areas of the country on

Saturday, triggering flooding and landslides.

Relief and rescue operations continued on Tuesday as the country

tried to grasp the extent of the damage.

Fifteen people were still missing and more than 210 were injured in

the storm, according to NHK.

More than half of the 66 deaths were in the north-eastern prefectures

of Miyagi and Fukushima, which bore the brunt of Japan's 2011

earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.

About 60 per cent of the 5,500 people who remain in temporary

shelters following the storm are also in the two prefectures.

Recovery efforts continue to face major challenges as, according to

the government, 47 river banks collapsed and the typhoon triggered a

total of 140 landslides and mudslides in 19 prefectures, many of

which cut off road links.

Hagibis flooded more than 10,000 houses, 900 of which were heavily

damaged, NHK estimated.

Schools resumed on Tuesday after a public holiday on Monday. However,

a total of 235 public schools remained closed due to the impact of

the typhoon, the government said.

About 34,000 households remained without electricity and 138,000

without water supply, according to the government.

Three days after the storm, some train links, including high-speed

bullet-train services between Nagano and Joetsu-Myoko, are

still suspended.

dpa

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