One killed, dozens hurt as typhoon batters south-west

A powerful typhoon has lashed south-western Japan with heavy rain and strong winds, leaving one person dead and at least 34 others injured, paralysing traffic and cutting power to thousands of homes.

Typhoon Krosa landed near Kure in western Hiroshima on Thursday afternoon local time and was travelling north with winds of up to 89mph, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

An 82-year-old man fell into the sea while mooring vessels in Hiroshima. At least 34 others were injured, including four seriously, in 11 south-western prefectures, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

Parts of the storm-hit region, including Hiroshima, are still recovering from deadly flooding last year.

A group of 18 people, including children, who had been stranded while camping on the bank of a swollen river in Oita, were safely rescued on Thursday, the disaster management agency said.

More than 7,000 people have moved to shelters in 21 prefectures in the western half of the Japanese archipelago. Bullet trains connecting Osaka and Kokura in the west were suspended on Thursday, and hundreds of domestic flights were grounded.

More than 2,500 homes were without electricity by Thursday night, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

The typhoon is losing strength and is expected to become a tropical storm by early Saturday, but it is still expected to dump large amounts of rain.

The agency predicted accumulated rainfall of up to 4ft across Japan.