It was a tough weekend for Japan, as Typhoon Hagibis tore through the country's main island of Honshu on Saturday and early Sunday.
In the aftermath of the largest typhoon to hit Japan in decades, Kyodo News reported at least 35 dead and 17 missing as of Oct. 14, Monday morning.
By noon, NHK World reported 39 deaths, 189 injured, and 16 missing.
#TyphoonHagibis, the biggest storm to hit Japan in decades, left a trail of destruction:
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) October 14, 2019
- At least 31 dead, 15 missing, 186 injured: NHK
- #Hagibis winds were up to 252km/hour (157 miles)
- 50,000+ without power
More @business: https://t.co/jysc8Zd1bK #台風19号 pic.twitter.com/fPkzL5Pm1b
Rescue efforts in Japan ramped up
According to Kyodo News, a rough total of 110,000 rescuers, including police officers, coast guard officers, and members of the Self-Defense Force were dispatched.
Tokyo: Homeless encampments which once lined Tama River have been swept away by #TyphoonHagibis; search/rescue operations underway as waters recede. #台風19 pic.twitter.com/OIdO763LoH
— Jon Mitchell 🏴 ジョン・ミッチェル (@jonmitchell_jp) October 13, 2019
In Nagano, an embankment of the Chikuma River collapsed at 3am on Oct. 13, leaving around 360 people stranded.
The report added that one of the reasons the death toll was so high was because many were asleep at the time.
The land ministry had warned of the possibility of floodwaters reaching up to 5 metres deep.
Helicopters and boats have been used by rescuers to save stranded residents from their flooded homes.
However, a woman in Fukushima Prefecture, 77, fell tragically to her death as rescuers from the Tokyo Fire Department tried to save her by helicopter.
She fell from an altitude of around 40m after they failed to attach a hanger to the harness she was in.
More than six million advised to evacuate
Train operators and airports in metropolitan areas of central Japan had suspended most services from Saturday afternoon to early Sunday, Kyodo News reported.
More than six million living in the region were advised to evacuate, but have been lifted in Tokyo since Sunday.
On Oct. 13, 262,000 households were left without electricity and power. The count dropped to 92,000 on Monday, according to BBC.
More on Typhoon Hagibis:
Top image: JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images
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