Christ First Forum

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-04/t ... an/2870004


At least 26 people have been killed and more than 50 others are missing after Typhoon Talas hit the west of Japan, bringing heavy rains and fierce winds.

Typhoon Talas, which made landfall on Saturday (local time), packed gusts of up to 108 kilometres per hour, flooding rivers and causing landslides as it cut across the main island of Shikoku and the western part of Honshu island.

The government has set up an emergency task force as the number of victims looks set to rise, and landslides and damaged roads hampered relief efforts.

In Wakayama prefecture, 12 people were killed and 29 were missing.

One of the victims drowned after floodwaters gushed into his car, while streets were submerged in scenes that rekindled memories of the March 11 tsunami disaster. More than 450,000 people have been left stranded.