5,000 people are stranded at one of the most important airports in Asia as it gets pounded by Typhoon Jebi's floodwaters

• Typhoon Jebi is the most powerful storm of its type to hit Japan in 25 years. The storm made landfall on Tuesday with winds of up to 130 mph.
• Nine people have reportedly died as a result of the storm, with another 300 injured. 
• The typhoon has forced the shutdown of Kansai International Airport in Osaka Bay.
• About 5,000 passengers are stranded at the facility as a result of severe flooding. 
• In addition, a runaway oil tanker drifted into and damaged the bridge connecting the airport to the mainland.

Typhoon Jebi is the most powerful storm of its type to hit Japan in a quarter-century. The storm made landfall in southwestern Japan with winds of up to 130 mph, The New York Times reported.

According to Japanese national broadcaster NHK, nine people have died as a result of the storm, with another 300 injured. 

The storm also did serious damage to Kansai International Airport, one of Asia's most important airports. Kansai, which is located on a manmade island in Osaka Bay, has been shut down as a result of severe flooding.

 Japan's transport ministry told NHK that several aircraft at the airport are submerged up to their engines. 

All flights are canceled, with the airport indicating that it has no plans to re-open its runways on Wednesday. As a result, Kansai International Airport has apologized to the roughly 5,000 travelers currently stranded at the facility. 

In addition, an oil tanker that was anchored in the bay was swept by the storm into the main bridge connecting the airport with the mainland, the Japan Times reported. The ship did considerable damage to the bridge. Fortunately, the ship's crew of 11 were not injured in the incident. 

Kansai International Airport serves the Keihanshin Metropolitan Region, which includes major population hubs in Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. In 2017, the airport saw nearly 29 million passengers. 

 

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