TOKYO: Rescuers
in Japan were working around the clock yesterday in an increasingly desperate
search for survivors of a powerful weekend typhoon that killed more than 70
people and caused widespread destruction. Hagibis slammed into Japan on
Saturday, unleashing fierce winds and unprecedented rain that triggered
landslides and caused dozens of rivers to burst their banks.

By yesterday
night, public broadcaster NHK put the toll at 72, with around a dozen people
missing. The government's tally was lower, but it said it was still updating
information. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said there was no plan to slow rescue
operations, with around 110,000 police, coast guard, firefighters and military
troops involved. "Rescue work and searches for the missing are continuing
around the clock," Abe told parliament. "Where rivers flooded, work
is ongoing to fix spots where banks broke, and water is being pumped out where
floods occurred," he added.

His office said
more than 3,000 people were rescued in the wake of the disaster, which affected
36 of the country's 47 prefectures. The defense ministry has called up several
hundred reserve troops -- in addition to active duty soldiers -- for the first
time since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako
were "deeply grieving for so many people affected", an Imperial
Household Agency official said.

The royal couple
"expressed their sincere condolences for those who lost their lives... and
heartily hope that those who are unaccounted for will be found as soon as
possible," the official said. Despite the scale of the disaster, the
government has no plan to delay a palace ceremony and parade to celebrate
Naruhito's enthronement on October 22.

Rain prompts new
warnings

Government
officials warned that more rain was expected throughout the Tuesday in several
parts of the country affected by the typhoon. "We ask people not to drop
their guard and to remain fully alert," chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide
Suga told reporters.

Hagibis crashed
into land packing gusts up to 216 kilometers per hour, but it was the storm's
heavy rain that caused the most damage. Deaths were reported across many
prefectures and included a man whose apartment was flooded, a municipal worker
whose car was caught in rising waters and at least seven crew aboard a cargo
ship that sank in Tokyo bay on Saturday night.

By yesterday
evening, some 24,000 households were still without power, and 128,000 homes had
no water. Tens of thousands of people spent Monday night in government
shelters, with many unsure when they would be able to return home. "My
frightened daughter can't stop shaking. We want to go home quickly," Rie
Nishioka, 39, told Kyodo News agency in Miyagi prefecture.

Government
pledges aid

The government
pledged financial support to affected regions without specifying how much aid
it would set aside. "Support for the victims of the disaster is an urgent
task," Abe said. "There are concerns that the impact on daily life
and economic activities may be long-lasting." Another area affected by the
storm was Fukushima, where several bags containing soil and plants collected
during nuclear decontamination efforts were washed away.

"Ten bags
out of 2,667 were swept into a river during the typhoon, but six of them were
recovered yesterday," environment ministry official Keisuke Takagi told
AFP, adding that the remaining four bags had been found and would be collected
soon. "Residents must be worried about the environment, but there are no
reports that the bags were broken, so there will be nothing to worry about once
they have been recovered safely," he said.

Transport
yesterday was largely back to normal, though some flights were cancelled and
train services partially disrupted where tracks or train stock were damaged by
the storm. The typhoon also caused disruption to sporting events, delaying
Japanese Grand Prix qualifiers and forcing Rugby World Cup organizers to cancel
three matches. A crunch fixture pitting the hosts against Scotland went ahead
on Sunday night, with Japan winning its first-ever quarter final spot. - AFP