JAPAN’S deadliest typhoon in more than two decades killed 66 people, news reports said yesterday as rescuers searched frantically for 22 still missing in floods and landslides.

Ten people were killed and five others were missing today as a powerful typhoon lashed southern Japan with strong winds and heavy rains, causing deadly mudslides and prompting the evacuation of thousands of homes.

Police said one person had died, at least six others were missing and 15 injured as a powerful typhoon lashed southern Japan with heavy rains today, disrupting air traffic, prompting the evacuation of thousands of households and leaving thousands more without electricity.

A powerful tropical storm hit southern Japan today, disrupting transport and whipping up waves and winds that damaged homes, downed electricity lines and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.

Typhoon Megi has killed 12 people as it swept across Asia. At least three people died in South Korea and nine in southern Japan.

Typhoon Megi swept across the south-west tip of South Korea, leaving thousands of people homeless and at least one person missing, emergency officials said today.

After a three-hour stand-off, police in southwestern Japan have arrested a knife-wielding man who took a convenience store employee hostage.