Powerful typhoon pounds western Japan, leaving 1 dead
A powerful typhoon made landfall in western Japan on Thursday, leaving one man dead and at least 40 people injured, while greatly disrupting summer holiday traffic.
A powerful typhoon made landfall in western Japan on Thursday, leaving one man dead and at least 40 people injured, while greatly disrupting summer holiday traffic, Kyodo reports.
Over 7,000 residents evacuated from their homes after the Japan Meteorological Agency warned of record rainfall totaling 1,200 millimeters in western and eastern Japan areas facing the Pacific, as well as landslides and floods.
Typhoon Krosa made landfall near Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, around 3 p.m. before reaching the Sea of Japan. As of 9 p.m., it was moving at a speed of 35 kilometers per hour around 80 km north of Matsue, Shimane Prefecture.
The season's 10th typhoon, with an atmospheric pressure of 980 hectopascals at its center and packing winds of up to 126 kph, was expected to be downgraded to an extratropical cyclone by early Saturday, according to the agency.
In the Shikoku region in western Japan, strong winds and rain triggered a large rock slide that closed a main road in a mountain valley. A signboard measuring 5 meters long and 3.6 meters wide that was installed at a height of 7 meters was blown over in an internet cafe parking lot, but no one was injured.
In Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, an 82-year-old man was confirmed dead after falling into the sea Thursday morning while tying up a boat, apparently due to the strong wind.
A total of 40 people were injured from Wednesday through Thursday in 13 prefectures, while evacuations were ordered in 15 prefectures in western and southwestern Japan.
Among the injured, a woman in her 60s in Tsu, Mie Prefecture, hit her hip after being blown over in strong wind on Wednesday. A man in his 60s sustained head injuries after falling from his bicycle.
A 65-year-old male guard's index and middle fingers were severed by a closing door in a parking lot of a commercial facility in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, due to the powerful wind caused by the typhoon.
West Japan Railway Co. suspended all Sanyo Shinkansen bullet train services operating Thursday between Shin-Osaka and Kokura but plans to resume them from Friday's first run. Local railway services in Okayama, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi prefectures were also canceled, according to the company.
Shikoku Railway Co. suspended all services on the western main island.
Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways Co. canceled more than 400 domestic and international flights Thursday.
As the typhoon hit Japan in the middle of the Bon holiday season when people return to their hometowns, long lines were seen at Shin-Osaka Station with travelers trying to purchase Tokyo-bound shinkansen tickets.
JR Tokyo Station was also busier than usual as the typhoon coincided with a rush of travelers returning from holidays. Central Japan Railway Co. has reduced Tokaido Shinkansen services between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka due to the typhoon.
I was worried whether shinkansen services will stop, so I returned home six hours earlier than scheduled. I'm glad I made it home," said 32-year-old Hiroshi Murakami, a company worker in Tokyo who traveled to Nagoya in central Japan with his wife.
In a valley in Kusu, Oita Prefecture, a group of 18 people including children were rescued Thursday morning after they were stranded the previous day when a river rose to dangerous levels, local officials said.
In the 24 hours through noon Friday, the weather agency forecast 500 mm of rain in the Kinki and Shikoku regions, 400 mm in Tokai and 300 mm in the Hokuriku and Kanto-Koshin areas.
Source: Kazinform News Agency
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Number of dead seals along Caspian coast rises to 850
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Another 115 carcasses of dead seals have been gathered on the Caspian Sea coast and delivered from the Aktau recreation area to the Kuryk Port, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Thus, the number of dead seals has already reached 850.
According to Andrey Rutskoy, acting chief of Mangistau region’s fishery inspection department, a working group consisting of inspectors, ecologists, local officials and representatives of public associations, is examining the beach. "Rocky beaches are hard to reach. The working group will go there on foot," he said.
He added that collecting samples from the last seals found is impossible, as the carcasses decomposed at the 3rd and 4th stages. The results of the samples taken at the end of October are not ready yet.
Recall that from October 24 to 28, 289 carcasses of dead seals were discovered by the employees of the Zhaiyk-Caspian Interregional Basin Fisheries Inspectorate together with the representatives of the Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology. Over half of the dead female seals were pregnant, Assel Baimukanova, an operator at the Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology, said.
In 2020, the Caspian seal was included in Kazakhstan’s Red Book of Endangered Species.
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Large boulder kills three people in Uzbekistan
Images | the road safety service of the Republic of Uzbekistan
A massive boulder fell from a mountain in southern Uzbekistan and smashed a passing Chevrolet Cobalt vehicle, killing three people inside, Kazinform News Agency reports.
According to the road safety service, the incident took place at the Takhtakaracha pass in Kashkadarya region on November 6.
Due to the incident that occurred at the 1138th km of the M-39 Tashkent-Termez highway at Takhtakaracha pass in the Kitob district of the Kashkadarya province and links Samarkand and Kashkadarya regions, traffic was temporarily halted," the road safety service stated.
Recall that a total 19,302 road accidents, affecting more than 26,703 individuals have been recorded in Kazakhstan over the course of nine months in 2024.
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Earthquake hits Almaty
The citizens of Almaty felt an earthquake today, at around 10:00 am, Kazinform News Agency reports.
According to the national seismological center, the quake’s preliminary magnitude was 4.5, local emergencies authorities said.
The epicenter of the quake was 33 kilometers east of Almaty, in the territory of Kazakhstan. The coordinates of the epicenter are 43.261 north latitude, and 77.310 east longitude.
The earthquake was felt in the following settlements: Almaty - 3 points, Talgar - 4 points, Yessik - 4 points, Turgen village - 3 points, Otegen Batyr village - 3 points, Boralday village - 2 points, Malovodnoye village - 2 points, Kaiypov village - 2 points, Alatau (Zhetigen) - 2 points, and Karassai (Kaskelen) - 2 points.
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Wildfires in Pavlodar region extinguished, localized in Karaganda region
Images | Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The wildfire in Pavlodar region has been extinguished, Kazinform News Agency learned from the ministry of emergencies.
The wildfire in Pavlodar region has been extinguished. The area of the fire is being determined," a statement from the ministry reads.
As reported, on October 6, a steppe fire broke out in Karaganda region, which then spread to the territory of Pavlodar region. The fire covered an area of 3,000 hectares. At 02:20 the fire, which had already spread to an area of 10,000 hectares in the Bayanaul district of Pavlodar region, was localized.
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The wildfire in Karaganda region was localized. The area of the fire is being determined.
33-year-old firefighter from Saran town, Karaganda region, Khali Khairat, died during the steppe fire in Karkaraly district on Sunday, October 6. Another four firefighters got injuries and were hospitalized.
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One firefighter died, four injured in steppe fire in Karaganda region
Images | Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan
33-year-old firefighter from Saran town, Karaganda region, died during the steppe fire in Karkaraly district on Sunday, October 6. Another four firefighters got injuries and were hospitalized, Kazinform News Agency learned from the local emergencies department.
Khali Khairat has served in the civil protection authorities since May 12, 2014. Governor of the region Yermaganbet Bulekpayev and Mayor of Saran Yerkin Baulikov visited his family and expressed their condolences. Local officials provided necessary assistance in the organization of the funeral.
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Passenger bus falls off bridge on a minivan in Almaty region
Images | gov.kz
A passenger bus crashed through the guardrails on a bridge and fell on a minibus in Kaskelen, Almaty region, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The video capturing the crash was shared on social media. A criminal case was initiated.
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The bus driver tested negative for alcohol.
For the past four years, nearly 1,000 road accidents involving public transport occurred in Almaty.
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