Typhoon Hinnamnor made landfall in South Korea early Tuesday, causing power outages and leaving one person missing, but with few preliminary reports of major damage as it returned to sea.
The typhoon, one of the most powerful to hit the country in decades, hit the southern island of Jeju overnight before making landfall near the port city of Busan, which was battered by huge waves and heavy rain, damaging roads and seaside shops. .
Waves brought by Typhoon Hinnamnor crash onto the coast of South Korea’s resort island of Jeju (AFP)
The typhoon was moving at a speed of 43 meters per second when it made landfall, authorities said.
A 25-year-old man has disappeared after falling into a rain-swollen stream in the coastal city of Ulsan, the central headquarters for disaster prevention and security measures said.
As a precaution, authorities closed more than 600 schools nationwide and local carriers blocked some 250 domestic flights, but service gradually resumed on Tuesday as Hinnamnor headed for Japan.
North Korea had also prepared for the storm, with leader Kim Jong-un overseeing a meeting in Pyongyang to assess the country’s disaster preparedness, state media reported on Tuesday.
Kim said strengthening the response to the Pyongyang disaster was crucial because “nothing is more precious … than people’s lives and safety,” the Korean Central News Agency said.
Experts say North Korea is particularly vulnerable to flooding and heavy rains due to deforestation and poor irrigation.
On Tuesday morning, the typhoon was over the Sea of Japan, known as the East Sea in Korea, 100 kilometers off the island of Tsushima in the southwest Nagasaki prefecture. of Japan, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
More than 35,000 homes were without power in the Kyushu region of southwestern Japan, Kyushu Electricity said in a statement.
With gusts of up to 180 kilometers per hour, it was moving northeast at a speed of 45 km/h and was expected to bring heavy rain to western Japan on Tuesday.
Some of Japan’s famous bullet trains have been suspended due to strong winds and rain, and many local trains have also halted service, operator JR Kyushu said.
At least 120 flights departing and landing at Kyushu airport have been canceled, public broadcaster NHK reported.
https://japantoday.com/category/world/power-outages-damage-as-typhoon-hinnamnor-hits-south-korea
Category: Japan, Korea
Leave a Reply