Typhoon Roke spares Fukushima nuclear plant

At least 16 dead or missing and transport system in chaos as floods and landslides in central Japan strike

Typhoon Roke moved northward across Japan, killing at least 16 people dead or missing.

Doubts had been raised that the powerful typhoon could endanger safety at the plant in Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power, which was sent into crisis by an earthquake and tsunami of March 11, but officials said the plant was not affected.

Hiroki

Kawamata, a spokesman for plant operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) said there was no news or leaks of radioactive materials into the environment. "We see no problems so far," he said.

The typhoon hit the northern island of Hokkaido on Thursday morning after weakening overnight, but there were no immediate reports of damage. The storm generated winds of up to 78 mph.

came to the city of Hamamatsu, about 125 miles (200 km) west of Tokyo, on Wednesday before cutting a road to the northeast and Tokyo.

up to 42 inches of rain in some areas, causing landslides and flooding.

police and local media reported 16 people dead or missing, most carried away by rivers swollen by the rains in central and southern regions. One person died in a landslide in northern Iwate Prefecture, and two people died in Sendai in the northeast.

• hundreds of tsunami survivors in government shelters in the town of Onagawa in Miyagi prefecture were forced to evacuate because of flood risk.

Strong winds toppled power lines
in many areas, and officials said more than 200,000 households in central Japan were without power on Wednesday.

in Tokyo during rush hour trains were suspended and thousands of passengers were stranded at railway stations in the city. Long lines formed for buses and taxis.
"Hotels in the region are reserved, so I am hoping to revive bullet train," said Hiromu Harada, a businessman 60 years in Tokyo Station.

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