Typhoon Zeb pounds into Japan, two people missing

“They went out to see the high waves with their friends early Saturday,” he said. “We are continuing to search them, but given this heavy weather it has been very difficult”.

Zeb, still powerful but considerably weakened from the 300 kilometres (190 miles) an hour gusts which first hit the northern Philippines on Wednesday, was moving North-east and expected to hit Japan’s southermost main island of Kyushu later Saturday.

The meteorological agency urged people all over Japan to take precautions with heavy rain and winds up to 108 kilometers (67 miles) an hour.

“We warned there would be heavy rains and severe winds not only in the Kyushu area but also all over Japan since itwould move North, covering almost all parts of the nation,” a meteorologist said.

Between Saturday and early Sunday, Zeb was expected to whip up eight metres (26.4 feet) waves and drop up to 400 millimeters (16 inches) of rain on Kyushu.

The Taiwan fire department, the government’s rescue coordination centre, Saturday put the number of dead from Typhoon Zeb at 18 with 13 people missing, but the China Times said 23 people had been killed.

Police said rescuers had dug out two bodies from beneath a mudslide in Taipei’s Neihu district and were striving to recover another three bodies Saturday.

Seven seamen were missing after a Singapore-registered ship with 14 crew sank off northern Taiwan. Police said six crew were rescued and one body had been found.

Hundreds of families Saturday continued to clean up their homes which had been submerged by floods as Zeb lashed the island with torrential rain on Thursday and Friday. Domestic and international flights resumed Saturday and most schools and offices onthe island were open after being forced to close Friday with Zeb’s winds at 137 kilometers per hour.