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Typhoon Hagibis wreaks havoc in Japan

Emergency workers called in after typhoon Hagibis causes widespread destruction in Japan
Emergency workers called in after typhoon Hagibis causes widespread destruction in Japan

Typhoon Hagibis, one of the most powerful typhoons to hit Japan this year, has caused widespread destruction. All efforts are underway to rescue people trapped in inundated areas.

Typhoon Hagibis hit mainland Japan on Saturday and killed at least 25 people. Additionally, 15 people went missing after the storm. Thousands of troops, firefighters and emergency workers were deployed to rescue stranded people. On the other hand, efforts are on to restore power in the affected areas.

Meteorologists believe that typhoon Hagibis is the strongest storm to hit Japan for more than six decades. Hagibis means speed in the Philippine language Tagalog. Likewise, hours of torrential rain and strong winds has stranded thousands of people.

As a result, the government has dispatched 27,000 members of the self-defence forces and other emergency workers to the affected areas.

TV footage showed military helicopters rescuing stranded people from inundated regions. Several families, including children, sought safety on the roof of their house.

Under these circumstances, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held an emergency meeting and vowed to support all those affected by the typhoon. “I extend my condolences to all those who lost their lives and offer my sympathies to all those impacted,” Abe said.

On the other hand, PM Abe assured normalization of services. “With respect to blackouts, water outage and suspension of transportation services, we will do our utmost to bring about a swift recovery.

“We ask the public to stay vigilant in case of landslides and other hazards,” he further assured the citizens.

Significantly, all major international sports events scheduled to take place over the weekend were cancelled. These include pool matches and the Rugby World Cup. In a similar vein, the typhoon led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights and bullet train services.