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.