Powerful typhoon strikes Japan's Okinawa

By Elaine Lies

TOKYO (Reuters) - A powerful typhoon pounded the southern Japanese islands of Okinawa on Friday, forcing the evacuation of thousands and the cancellation of hundreds of flights as it headed north towards the main islands.

Up to 500 mm (20 inches) of rain was expected to fall on the southernmost main island of Kyushu by Saturday, further battering areas already hit by heavy rains and flooding earlier this week. More than 8,000 people were advised to evacuate.

Some 100,000 people were left without electricity as Typhoon Man-yi bore down on the tropical Okinawa island chain some 1,600 km (1,000 miles) southwest of Tokyo. Twenty-three people were hurt.

NHK public television said more than 300 flights to and from Okinawa were cancelled.

Twelve crew members of a Chinese ship were also missing after their vessel sank some 600 km northwest of Guam in strong winds and high seas, officials at the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles were quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying. Two men were rescued.

The Chinese-flagged bulk log carrier, owned by Fuzhou Haijing Shipping, was en route from Papua New Guinea to China when the cargo began shifting as the vessel encountered strong winds and 7 metre seas, the survivors were quoted as saying.

Man-yi passed near the Okinawa city of Naha and was around 130 km (80 miles) northwest of Okinoerabu island as of 7:50 p.m. (11:50 a.m. British time), moving north at 25 kph (15 mph), Japan's Meteorological Agency said.

It had winds at its centre of around 160 kph (100 kph) and gusts of up to 234 kph (145 mph), slightly weaker than before.