Powerful Typhoon Kills Man in Okinawa Pref.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:11 JST, August 2, 2023

A 90-year-old man died in Okinawa Prefecture after being pinned under a garage that collapsed in strong wind as a powerful typhoon neared Okinawa Island on Wednesday.

The Japan Meteorological Agency called on people to take precautions against the storm, bringing high waves and heavy rain.

According to the agency, Typhoon No. 6 was moving west-northwestward at a speed of about 10 kph at a location about 70 kilometers south of Kume Island in the prefecture as of 9 a.m. on Wednesday. The pressure at the center was 930 hectopascals, and the maximum sustained wind speed near the center was 50 meters per second (180 kph), with the maximum instantaneous wind speed registering 70 meters per second (252 kph).

In Ogimi, a village in the northern part of Okinawa’s main island, a garage at a house collapsed due to strong wind at about 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Yoshihiro Sakiyama, who lived in the house, was trapped under the garage. He was taken to a hospital in an unconscious state, but was soon confirmed dead.

According to the prefectural government, at least 13 people in seven cities and towns, including Okinawa City and Nago, had been injured due to strong winds as of noon Wednesday.

All flights to and from Naha Airport were canceled on the same day, and the terminal building was closed.