Typhoon Maemi downgraded to depression after ravaging Korea

TOKYO (AFP) Sep 14, 2003
Typhoon Maemi was downgraded to a depression early Sunday morning as it passed by the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaido to the Sea of Okhotsk, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Maemi was moving northeast at a speed of 55 kilometers (34 miles) per hour in the Sea of Okhotsk at 6:00 am (2100 GMT Saturday) when it was downgraded, the agency said.

Maemi, one of the strongest typhoons to ravage the Korean Peninsula in years, wrought devastation across the region Saturday with powerful winds and heavy rains.

The typhoon left about 100 people dead or missing in South Korea as it derailed trains, triggered landslides and toppled buildings, news reports said.

As the typhoon passed by Hokkaido, three campers were injured early Sunday, including one seriously, when strong winds caused a tree to fall on their tent around 4:05 am, local police said.

Fumihiko Ito, 41, fell into a coma after the falling tree hit his head, while his wife and daughter received minor injuries, police said.

Maemi, which means cicada in Korean, killed one elderly woman in Japan Thursday as it hit the southernmost Japanese island prefecture of Okinawa.

TERRA.WIRE