AT least two people are dead and dozens injured after powerful Typhoon Halong slammed into western Japan, bringing torrential rains and strong winds.
One woman was found dead in a rushing stream on the south-western island of Shikoku. A man also died after being swept away by a swollen river in central Japan, the Kyodo News agency reported on Sunday.
More than half a million residents had been ordered to evacuate their homes late on Saturday in western regions where mudslides and flooded rivers were reported.
The typhoon disrupted land and air traffic just as Japan began its annual “Obon” Buddhist holiday week.
The storm slowed down as it made two landfalls — over Shikoku Island and Hyogo prefecture in western Japan — and was on track to move out into the Sea of Japan later today. It was forecast to further lose strength in the next 12 hours.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued the highest alert for heavy rain in Mie prefecture in central Japan, prompting two towns to order more than 500,000 residents to move away from swollen rivers. Another 600,000 people were advised to evacuate across the country.
