Storm kills two in Japan

A storm that has killed two people in Japan threatens further heavy rains causing landslides in mountainous areas and flooding in the capital Tokyo.

Two people were killed, one was missing and as many as 25 were injured as the storm - called Pabuk - moved across parts of western and central Japan.

About 7,000 people were forced to evacuate.

The storm, which was downgraded from typhoon status after losing power, is expected to hit Tokyo on Wednesday afternoon before moving on to the country's northeast.

Rainfall is expected to reach 18 inches in some areas in the storm's path.

The Meteorological Agency warned of possible landslides on the mountainous outskirts of Tokyo and said that flooding could occur in low-lying areas of the capital, home to some 11 million people.

Pabuk, which means "big freshwater fish" in Lao, was packing winds of up to 67mph. That was compared to the 78mph winds recorded on Tuesday.

Typhoons are defined as having minimum surface winds of at least 74mph.

A few flights had already been cancelled on Wednesday and more were likely later.

On Tuesday, Pabuk forced the cancellation of nearly 180 domestic and international flights nationwide, and flooding led to the closure of several major highways.

Bullet train services were delayed and several other train services were suspended in western Japan.

Power black-outs hit nearly 20,000 buildings in three southwestern prefectures.

The deaths came when a 28-year-old employee of Kinki Nippon Railways died when he touched a high-voltage overhead train cable while trying to clear branches and a 66-year-old pottery factory worker fell to his death from the roof of the building when he tried to clear clogged rain gutters.