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Strong typhoon slams western Japan; 8 dead, airport flooded

TOKYO (AP) — A powerful typhoon slammed into western Japan on Tuesday, inundating the region’s main international airport and blowing a tanker into a bridge, disrupting land and air travel and leaving thousands stranded. At least eight people died and scores were injured.

Jebi, reportedly the strongest typhoon to make landfall in Japan since 1993, headed north across the main island of Honshu toward the Sea of Japan. It was off the northern coast of Fukui on Tuesday evening with sustained winds of 126 kilometers per hour (78 miles per hour) and gusts up to 180 kph (110 mph), the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

More than 700 flights were canceled, according to Japanese media tallies. High-speed bullet train service was suspended from Tokyo west to Hiroshima, though service partially resumed later Tuesday when the typhoon left the region.

More than 1.6 million households remained without power in Osaka, Kyoto and four nearby prefectures late Tuesday, according to Kansai Electric Power Co.

High seas poured into Kansai International Airport, built on artificial islands in Osaka Bay, flooding one of its two runways, cargo storage and other facilities, and forcing it to shut down, said the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. A passenger was slightly injured by shards from a window shattered by the storm.

A 2,591-ton tanker that was mooring slammed into the side of a bridge connecting the airport to the mainland, damaging the bridge and making it unusable, leaving about 3,000 passengers stranded at the airport, transport ministry official Mitsuo Nakao said.

The tanker was also damaged, but its 11 crewmembers were not injured and remained on board, according to the coast guard.

NHK public television showed passengers sitting or lying on the floor in the airport terminal in the dark without air conditioning.

A man in his 70s died apparently after being blown to the ground from his apartment in Osaka prefecture. Police said five others died elsewhere in the prefecture after being hit by flying objects or falling from their apartments. In nearby Shiga prefecture, a 71-year-old man died when a storage building collapsed on him, and a man in his 70s died after falling from a roof in Mie, officials said.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 150 people were injured.

Daihatsu Motor Co. stopped production at its Kyoto and Osaka factories, while Panasonic halted work at its air conditioning and refrigerator factory in Shiga. Major beverage maker Kirin Co. suspended production at its brewery in Kobe, according to Kyodo News agency.

Elsewhere in Osaka, the Universal Studios Japan theme park and U.S. Consulate were both closed. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe canceled a scheduled trip to Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost main island, to oversee the government’s response to the typhoon, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.

In nearby Nishinomiya in Hyogo prefecture, about 100 cars at a seaside dealership were in flames after their electrical systems were shorted out by sea water, fire officials and news reports said.

The typhoon first made landfall on Japan’s southwestern island of Shikoku and then again near Kobe on Honshu. Television footage showed sea water overflowing onto low-lying areas.

Tokyo escaped relatively unscathed, with some intermittent squalls.

Kansai International Airport partially is flooded by typhoon Jebi in Osaka, western Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. A powerful typhoon blew through western Japan on Tuesday, causing heavy rain to flood the region’s main offshore international airport and high winds to blow a tanker into a connecting bridge, disrupting land and air travel. (Nobuki Ito/Kyodo News via AP)
A tanker is seen after it slammed into the side of a bridge connecting the airport to the mainland, damaging part of the bridge and the vessel in Osaka, western Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. A powerful typhoon blew through western Japan on Tuesday, causing heavy rain to flood the region’s main offshore international airport and high winds to blow a tanker into a connecting bridge, disrupting land and air travel. (Kentaro Ikushima/Mainichi Newspaper via AP)
A couple watches waves hitting a coast of Shirahara town, Wakayama prefecture, central Japan, Monday, Sept. 3, 2018. Powerful Typhoon Jebi is approaching Japan’s Pacific coast and forecast to bring heavy rain and high winds to much of the country.(Yosuke Mizuno/Kyodo News via AP)
Kansai International Airport is partly inundated following a powerful typhoon in Izumisano, Osaka prefecture, western Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. A powerful typhoon blew through western Japan on Tuesday, causing heavy rain to flood the region’s main offshore international airport and high winds to blow a tanker into a connecting bridge, disrupting land and air travel. (Kentaro Ikushima/Mainichi Newspaper via AP)
Overturned cars are seen on street following a powerful typhoon in Osaka, western Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. A powerful typhoon blew through western Japan on Tuesday, causing heavy rain to flood the region’s main offshore international airport and high winds to blow a tanker into a connecting bridge, disrupting land and air travel. (Kota Endo/Kyodo News via AP)
Kansai International Airport is partly inundated following a powerful typhoon in Izumisano, Osaka prefecture, western Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. A powerful typhoon blew through western Japan on Tuesday, causing heavy rain to flood the region’s main offshore international airport and high winds to blow a tanker into a connecting bridge, disrupting land and air travel. (Sayaka Kamohara/Mainichi Newspaper via AP)
Overturned cars are seen on street following a powerful typhoon in Osaka, western Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. A powerful typhoon blew through western Japan on Tuesday, causing heavy rain to flood the region’s main offshore international airport and high winds to blow a tanker into a connecting bridge, disrupting land and air travel. (Kota Endo/Kyodo News via AP)
A police car makes through a flooded road following a powerful typhoon in Osaka, western Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. A powerful typhoon blew through western Japan on Tuesday, causing heavy rain to flood the region’s main offshore international airport and high winds to blow a tanker into a connecting bridge, disrupting land and air travel. (Kota Endo/Kyodo News via AP)
Overturned cars are seen on street following a powerful typhoon in Osaka, western Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. A powerful typhoon blew through western Japan on Tuesday, causing heavy rain to flood the region’s main offshore international airport and high winds to blow a tanker into a connecting bridge, disrupting land and air travel. (Kota Endo/Kyodo News via AP)
People move a car which was flown by strong wind caused by a powerful typhoon in Osaka, western Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. A powerful typhoon blew through western Japan on Tuesday, causing heavy rain to flood the region’s main offshore international airport and high winds to blow a tanker into a connecting bridge, disrupting land and air travel. (Kota Endo/Kyodo News via AP)
This graphic from website of Japan Meteorological Agency, the forecast track of of Typhoon Jebi Tuesday Sept. 4, 2018. A powerful typhoon blew through western Japan on Tuesday, causing heavy rain to flood the region’s main offshore international airport and high winds to blow a tanker into a connecting bridge, disrupting land and air travel. (Japan Meteorological Agency via AP)
Police officers attempt to remove fallen trees following a powerful typhoon in Osaka, western Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. A powerful typhoon blew through western Japan on Tuesday, causing heavy rain to flood the region’s main offshore international airport and high winds to blow a tanker into a connecting bridge, disrupting land and air travel. (Nobuki Ito/Kyodo News via AP)
CORRECTS NAME OF PHOTOGRAPHER - High waves hit breakwaters at a port of Aki, Kochi prefecture, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. Powerful Typhoon Jebi is approaching Japan’s Pacific coast and forecast to bring heavy rain and high winds to much of the country. (Ichiro Banno/Kyodo News via AP)
A notice informing cancelled trains is placed at the gates of Osaka Station in Osaka, western Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. Heavy rain and crashing surf were striking western Japan as powerful Typhoon Jebi neared its Pacific coast Tuesday, disrupting train service and air travel. (Kyodo News via AP)
A flight information board shows the cancellation of flights at Osaka airport, western Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. Heavy rain and crashing surf were striking western Japan as powerful Typhoon Jebi neared its Pacific coast Tuesday, disrupting train service and air travel. (Takumi Sato/Kyodo News via AP)
CORRECTS NAME OF PHOTOGRAPHER - High waves hit breakwaters at a port of Aki, Kochi prefecture, western Japan, Tuesday Sept. 4, 2018. Powerful Typhoon Jebi is approaching Japan’s Pacific coast and forecast to bring heavy rain and high winds to much of the country. (Ichiro Banno/Kyodo News via AP)