Tokyo (AsiaNews) - Typhoon Wipha hit the area near Tokyo, capital of Japan, this morning killing at least 13 people and causing landslides on Isu Oshima island. The victims died due to the collapse of several homes. Flights to and from Tokyo have been canceled, the ultra -fast rail service shut down and schools closed.
So far, authorities have evacuated about 20 thousand people, while emergency operations have begun in the affected areas. Wipha is the 26th typhoon of the season in Asia, it is moving at a speed of 35 kilometers per hour towards the north-east, accompanied by wind gusts that reach 200 km / h .
The images broadcast by public television NHK show a catastrophic scenario. Dozens of homes were destroyed. "We have no idea what the real level of damage is," said Hinani Uematsu , an official from the local administration.
Hiroyuki Uchida, from the National Meteorological Agency, states: "It is the most violent typhoon of the past decade to hit the Kanto region, where the capital Tokyo is located." The Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), the company that operates the nuclear power plant affected by the disaster in Fukushima, immediately declared that it is stepping up security installations and surveillance.
