A powerful typhoon barrelled towards Japan on Sunday, leaving two dead and more than ten injured, as millions struggled to the polls for a national election.
Authorities advised thousands living in coastal areas or near rivers to evacuate to shelters as Typhoon lan, described as “very large and very strong”, dumped torrential rain over much of the country.
According to Japan’s meteorological agency, the storm packed gusts up to 216 kms per hour tonight in the Pacific south of Japan and may hit Tokyo and surrounding regions early on Monday.
The typhoon claimed its first victims as a male passer-by died when scaffolding collapsed on him at a construction site in Fukuoka, western Japan, public broadcaster NHK said.
And a 70-year-old man was found dead after he dived into the sea to grab a rope from another vessel as he attempted to escape from his troubled boat, a coastguard told AFP.
At least 11 people were injured across the nation, NHK said.
Strong winds forced airline companies to ground more than 500 flights, while some train and ferry services in western Japan were cancelled, local media said.