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Powerful typhoon Chaba lands on southern Japan as thousands evacuate
TOKYO (AFP) Aug 30, 2004
Powerful typhoon Chaba landed on Japan's southern main island of Kyushu Monday as it brought heavy rain and strong winds to the region, officials said.

The typhoon prompted thousands of residents to evacuate to schools and other public facilities, they said.

Chaba landed on Kagoshima prefecture, 1,000 kilometers (625 miles) southwest of Tokyo, said an official from the Japan Meteorological Agency.

"It landed near Kushikino city in Kagoshima around 9:30 am (0030 GMT)," he said. "It is continuing to move north."

Chaba, meaning hibiscus in Thai, was moving at a speed of 25 kilometersmiles) per hour, generating maximum wind speeds of 144 kilometers (90 miles) per hour, the agency said.

"We have issued warnings for heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, high waves, and flood tide for areas across Kyushu," the official said.

The typhoon caused power outages which affected 254,400 households in the Kyushu region, according to the Kyushu Electric Power Co.

The storm has also caused 5,610 people in Kagoshima to evacuate to public facilities such as schools, a prefecture government official said.

"Seven people received minor injuries when windows shattered at home and offices," he said.

In neighboring Kumamoto prefecture, 8,596 people evacuated their houses, a local official said, adding that one person were slightly injured.

In Miyazaki prefecture, residents from some 1,667 households evacuated their homes, though the exact number of evacuees was not immediately available, a Miyazaki official said.

He said four people in Miyazaki received minor injuries.

The typhoon caused hundreds of flights and train journeys in the region be cancelled, major media reported.

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