Typhoon Shanshan Slams Japan with Heavy Rains and Winds; Kagoshima on High Alert

Typhoon Shanshan hit Japan's Kyushu Island on Thursday, causing heavy rains and winds, disrupting public transport, and prompting a rare special warning for Kagoshima Prefecture. Nine injuries and three fatalities were reported, along with a landslide. Authorities have been urged to ensure timely evacuations and disaster preparedness.

Typhoon Shanshan made landfall on Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu on Thursday morning, bringing heavy rain and powerful winds, according to Kyodo News. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a rare special typhoon warning for most parts of Kagoshima Prefecture. Public transport operators responded by cancelling trains and flights as the storm moved northward.

The prefectural governments of Kagoshima and Miyazaki reported at least nine injuries as of Wednesday. In central Japan, heavy rainfall led to the suspension of bullet train services on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line between Shizuoka and Kakegawa. A landslide in Aichi Prefecture resulted in three deaths and two injuries, as confirmed by Gamagori city officials, Kyodo News reported.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged authorities to provide timely and accurate information regarding evacuation, heavy rain, rainstorms, and river conditions ahead of Typhoon Shanshan's approach. In a statement, Kishida instructed authorities to coordinate with local governments to support evacuations and take measures to ensure residents' safety in flood and landslide-prone areas.

Kishida also called for a prompt assessment of damage and emphasized the need for the government to implement disaster emergency measures in response to any typhoon-related damage.

(With inputs from agencies.)