A powerful typhoon hit southern Japan on Thursday, injuring at least five people, disrupting traffic and drenching a wide region, according to AP. Typhoon Usagi was located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Miyazaki city on Japan's southern island of Kyushu as of Thursday afternoon, with maximum sustained winds of 144 kilometers (89 miles) per hour, the Japan Meteorological Agency said in a statement. Miyazaki is 900 kilometers (550 miles) southwest of Tokyo. Five people have been injured _ including four seriously _ in Miyazaki prefecture (state), according to local official Shiro Hamasuna. Two men fell from roofs but were expected to live, the official said. A woman had the tip of her finger cut off; another suffered a broken arm; while a third women was lightly injured when her motorbike fell, the official said. Usagi, which means «rabbit» in Japanese, was moving north-northwest and expected to hit the Kyushu and Shikoku islands later in the day, the agency said. The agency warned of heavy rains, high waves and strong winds. The typhoon forced airline companies to cancel more than 140 flights. Japan Airlines Corp. and its subsidiary grounded 79 flights, affecting about 3,800 passengers, according to company spokeswoman Yumi Iwashita. All Nippon Airways Co. and its subsidiaries canceled 62 flights, affecting about 7,900 passengers, said company spokeswoman Keiko Ninomiya. Ferry services were also suspended, public broadcaster NHK said. About 9,700 homes in the typhoon-hit region were without power as of Thursday, according to Kyushu Electric Power Co. Up to 35 centimeters (14 inches) of rain was forecast for some regions.
