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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 Japan mobilizes 110,000 rescuers as storm toll rises
Rescue workers carry a rubber dinghy as they search a flooded area in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, yesterday. Photo: Reuters
/ Bloomberg and AP
Japan is sending more than 110,000 people, including its Self-Defense Forces, to tackle rescue and cleanup operations in the wake of the most powerful typhoon to hit the country in decades, which left at least 43 people dead, while Taiwan offered aid.
Police, firefighters and the coast guard are also participating in the rescue efforts, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference yesterday.
More than 180 people were injured and 16 were missing after many areas were hit by record rainfall and violent winds, according to national broadcaster NHK.
At least 48 landslides and mudflows have been reported in 12 prefectures, while nine rivers burst their banks, the Kyodo news agency reported, citing the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
The heavy rain destroyed river banks in central and northern Japan — most seriously the Chikuma River in Nagano Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo. Houses were flooded in the area, with NHK showing footage of collapsed bridges and residents being rescued by helicopter from rooftops.
Typhoon Hagibis had moved away from the nation by Sunday morning and was downgraded to a tropical storm, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
President Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文） expressed concern for Japan and said Taiwan is willing to help.
Tsai expressed her concern to Mikio Numata, chief representative of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association’s Taipei Office, and to Japanese authorities via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a statement released by the Presidential Office said.
Tsai offered sympathy, expressed a willingness to provide assistance to Japan, as well as hope that the areas affected by the typhoon recover quickly and people are safe, the statement said.
The foreign ministry also released a statement yesterday, echoing Tsai’s message of sympathy and willingness to provide support.
At its peak, Hagibis was packing winds of up to 252kph.
Nine local governments, including Tokyo and Nagano, have requested assistance from the Self-Defense Forces.
Japanese Minister of Defense Taro Kono tweeted that a total force of 31,000 troops was formed and about 40 aircraft were in operation to help residents.
Domestic flights were mostly operating normally yesterday, although there were some delays. More than 800 flights in Japan were canceled for Sunday as of early morning.
The economic impact from the storm has yet to be determined as companies were forced to suspend operations at stores and factories.
By late yesterday afternoon, national broadcaster NHK said the death toll had risen to 43 dead, with 16 missing and more than 200 people injured.
The Japanese central government was continuing to update its information.
In Kanagawa Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, 100cm of rain was recorded over 48 hours. Some of the muddy waters in streets, fields and residential areas had subsided, but many places remained flooded, with homes and surrounding roads covered in mud and littered with broken wooden pieces and debris.
Some places normally dry still looked like giant rivers.
People who lined up for morning soup at evacuation shelters, which were housing 30,000 people, expressed concern about the homes they had left behind.
Survivors and rescuers also face colder weather, with northern Japan turning chilly this week.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that the government was to set up a special disaster team, including officials from various ministries, to deal with the fallout from the typhoon, including helping those in evacuation centers and boosting efforts to restore water and electricity to homes.
“Our response must be rapid and appropriate,” Abe said, adding that many people remained missing and damage was extensive.
Additional reporting by staff writer, with CNA
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
