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Five dead as Shanshan lashes southwestern Japan

At least five people were reported dead or missing and dozens more injured, as a strong typhoon swept toward southwestern Japan yesterday unleashing heavy rains and fierce winds.

More than 300 flights were grounded, cars were blown over in the streets and strong winds were suspected in the derailment of an express train that injured five people, local media reported.

Although Typhoon Shanshan had weakened overnight, it was still lashing the region with maximum sustained winds of 160kph. It was forecast to continue churning northeast and hit Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu early last night, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.

Heavy rain warnings were issued for much of western Japan, but the storm killed four people before even making landfall.

A father and his teenage daughter died on Saturday when their car was hit by a flash flood in Kyushu, Kyodo News agency and public broadcaster NHK said. Another man was swept away in high waters elsewhere, Kyodo said. Another man was killed and another missing in Hiroshima prefecture, farther to the east, NHK said.

Dozens more have been injured by the typhoon, which entered Japanese waters early on Saturday after sweeping past Taiwan, Kyodo reported. Five people were hurt when two cars in the train they were riding in tipped off the tracks in Miyazaki Prefecture. The train was going slow because of the typhoon and authorities suspect a sudden gust lifted it from the rails.

Up to 350mm of rain were expected to fall in some areas of southwestern Japan by midday today, NHK reported.
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