Loading
Search
▼ Typhoon Jebi Pushes Ship Into Kansai Airport Bridge, Leaving 5,000 People Stranded at Japan’s Third-busiest Gateway
- Category:Event
OSAKA – A tanker smashed into the bridge linking Kansai International Airport with the mainland, leaving about 5,000 people stranded at the facility on Tuesday as strong winds and high waves from Typhoon Jebi blasted western Japan.
The airport, which sits on a man-made island in Osaka Bay, has been flooded and closed since the afternoon. It will not resume operations until at least Wednesday evening, according to airport officials.
The damage to one of the busiest airports in Japan — frequented by visitors to cities in the Kansai area such as Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe — could affect the country’s tourism boom.
The 2,591-ton Houn Maru, which had been anchored in the bay, was swept toward the approximately 3,700-meter-long bridge around 1 p.m., damaging the sole land connection to the airport.
Those stranded at the facility will likely be transported to the mainland using lanes not affected by the collision, the airport operator said. Train services along the bridge have also been suspended.
None of the ship’s 11 crew members were injured in the incident. The local coast guard dispatched a helicopter to rescue them.
The transport ministry said the airport closed all of its runways at noon and shut down the entire facility from 3 p.m. due to flooding.
The airport’s runway and the basement floor of a terminal building have been flooded, according to airport officials.
Kansai airport, in a statement to Osaka media outlets, said water depth was up to 50 centimeters in some places at the airport.
The airport, which sits on a man-made island in Osaka Bay, has been flooded and closed since the afternoon. It will not resume operations until at least Wednesday evening, according to airport officials.
The damage to one of the busiest airports in Japan — frequented by visitors to cities in the Kansai area such as Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe — could affect the country’s tourism boom.
The 2,591-ton Houn Maru, which had been anchored in the bay, was swept toward the approximately 3,700-meter-long bridge around 1 p.m., damaging the sole land connection to the airport.
Those stranded at the facility will likely be transported to the mainland using lanes not affected by the collision, the airport operator said. Train services along the bridge have also been suspended.
None of the ship’s 11 crew members were injured in the incident. The local coast guard dispatched a helicopter to rescue them.
The transport ministry said the airport closed all of its runways at noon and shut down the entire facility from 3 p.m. due to flooding.
The airport’s runway and the basement floor of a terminal building have been flooded, according to airport officials.
Kansai airport, in a statement to Osaka media outlets, said water depth was up to 50 centimeters in some places at the airport.
Terminal 1’s passenger area was not flooded and authorities also said Terminal 2 escaped damage, as well as the runway beside it, known as Runway B.
As of Tuesday afternoon, power was out in part of the Terminal 1 building, and airport authorities reported that one passenger had been injured.
Tuesday was the 24th anniversary of the opening of the international gateway that’s become the third-busiest airport in the country.
The airport has been increasingly used by foreign passengers, particularly those from China, South Korea and Southeast Asian countries, as it has been expanded to accommodate budget airlines.
In fiscal 2017 through March, the number of total passengers hit a record-high 28.80 million, according to data released by the operator.
Dozens of salvage barges were also swept away at Kobe and Osaka ports after their ropes snapped due to the strong winds. While some people remain onboard, there has been no reports of injuries, according to the coast guard.
As of Tuesday afternoon, power was out in part of the Terminal 1 building, and airport authorities reported that one passenger had been injured.
Tuesday was the 24th anniversary of the opening of the international gateway that’s become the third-busiest airport in the country.
The airport has been increasingly used by foreign passengers, particularly those from China, South Korea and Southeast Asian countries, as it has been expanded to accommodate budget airlines.
In fiscal 2017 through March, the number of total passengers hit a record-high 28.80 million, according to data released by the operator.
Dozens of salvage barges were also swept away at Kobe and Osaka ports after their ropes snapped due to the strong winds. While some people remain onboard, there has been no reports of injuries, according to the coast guard.
- September 5, 2018
- Comment (0)
- Trackback(0)