17 Sep 2012

Typhoon Sanba batters South Korea

Weather Presenter

Powerful Typhoon Sanba hit South Korea with strong winds and heavy rain on Monday, leaving one person dead and cutting power to thousands of homes and businesses.

A 50-year-old woman was killed in a landslide caused by torrential rain, with another woman injured in a separate landslide according to agency officials.

State-run National Emergency Management Agency said that around 26,900 homes were without electricity as a result of the storm.

Transportation was also hit hard, with 330 flights and 170 ferries cancelled, as huge waves lashed the coast.

Before reaching South Korea, the storm hit Japan, affecting the islands to the south west of the country.

A man was killed on Sunday while swimming in high waves off the southern Japanese island of Ishigaki, according to the coastguard. The storm also left 67,000 homes without power.

Sanba has weakened dramatically to a tropical storm, but will still take drenching rains to parts of North Korea and the far east of China during the next 36 hours.