Typhoon Fran kills 115; $200M damage

Press, 15 September 1976, Page 8

Typhoon Fran kills 115; $200M damage

| NZPA-Reuter Udine] Typhoon Fran, the most destructive typhoon to hit I Japan in 10 years, has been to a lowpressure system in the Sea iof Japan, leaving in its wake at least 115 dead and 46 others missing. The police said 330 other people had been injured. Fran cut through northwestern Kyushu, Japan’s main, southernmost island, on Monday, bringing heavy downpours to wide-spread areas. The heavy casualties, the worst since Typhoon Ida killed 275 in 1966. were caused mainly by landslides and flooding. ] There were 3850 landjslides, and river-banks gave | wav at more than 200 places. I The Agriculture Ministry I said an estimated loss to | farm products and farmland iwas worth almost S2OOM. ] The police said a total of 326,000 people had been afIfected by Typhoon Fran in (44 of the nation’s 47 prefectures.

| The Associated Press reported that at a small town Inear Kobe, western Japan, (where a landslide killed 19 persons and left 21 others (missing in three minutes on (Sunday night, a 15-year-old girl told the police, “I found myself sandwiched between the roof and a closet before I realized there was a landslide.” “I kept shouting for help for 36 hours with my sister before being rescued she said. Rainfalls of 1000 to 1800 millimetres have fallen in some cities and towns since I the typhoon was spotted inear Okinawa a week ago. Udine misery I Fresh earth tremors and (freezing rain have added to ithe misery of thousands of (people still living in tents (around the northern Italian (town of Udine, where nearly JlOOO were killed in a powerful earthquake on May 6. ] On Saturday two powerful

tremors shook the Udine area, sending those still h\ mg in houses fleeing foi the temporary tent accommodation set up by the Government after the May 6 earth quake, which registered 6.5 points on the open-ended Richter scale. Some 40,000 people are living in the tents. Six new tremors have struck the area, two registering four points on the Richter scale. Damaged masonry and half-built houses ' collapsed, but no injuries were reported. Scientists at the nearby Trieste Geophysical Laboratory said the latest tremors meant that there had been 214 shocks since the major shock four months ago. The Italian Government has assumed responsibility Tor administering the area in an attempt to speed up the rebuilding of houses. A Parliamentary commission has arrived in Udinr to assess the problem and draw up inew proposals for relief (work.