Calls for evacuation of people in Japan ahead of Typhoon Khanoun

Hurricane Khanoun approached Okinawa, southern Japan, on Tuesday, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights and prompting hundreds of thousands of residents to evacuate their homes to seek shelter from the storm.

Several cities in Okinawa issued non-mandatory evacuation orders on Tuesday as the hurricane, with rapidly-moving winds reaching up to 162 kilometers per hour, was expected to reach the prefecture on Tuesday evening.

The Japan Meteorological Agency described the hurricane as "broad in scope" and "powerful," and at 10 a.m. local time (01:00 UTC), it was about 240 kilometers southeast of Naha, the capital of Okinawa.

Local authorities urged vulnerable residents to seek safer places away from their homes in anticipation of strong winds and heavy rains.

A disaster management official in Okinawa told Agence France-Presse, "Many people are staying in their homes because they are made of concrete."

He added, "But we are asking people who live alone or in wooden houses in low-lying areas to consider evacuating before the hurricane intensifies."

500 flights to and from Okinawa were canceled on Tuesday, and local bus and ferry services were suspended, according to the Japan Broadcasting Corporation NHK.

Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways announced that more than 74,000 passengers will be affected by flight cancellations on Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP