A strong typhoon bore down on Japan's southern island chain of Okinawa on Saturday, unleashing heavy rains and fierce winds that grounded flights and disrupted transportation. Two people died when heavy downpours triggered a landslide, a news report said. Typhoon Shanshan, with maximum sustained winds of 180 kilometers (110 miles) per hour, was forecast to continue north toward Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu where it could make landfall as early as Monday, Japan's Meteorological Agency said. Public broadcaster NHK reported that the storm forced the suspension of dozens of flights and disrupted shipping in the region. Taiwan issued a maritime alert Friday for ships off its eastern and southern coasts as the typhoon passed. Television footage showed snapped utility poles, blown-over vehicles and wind damage to buildings. Heavy rain triggered landslides that killed two people in Kyushu on Saturday as the typhoon approached, Kyodo News service reported. On Iriomote Island, much father to the south and near Taiwan, wind gusts of 250 kilometers (155 miles) per hour were recorded, the strongest winds ever observed there, Kyodo said.
