Tokyo, Sept 21 (AFP) A powerful typhoon smashed into Japan today and headed towards the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, where workers raced to secure buildings to stop radioactive material spreading. Typhoon Roke, packing winds of up to 216 kilometres (130 miles) per hour, made landfall near Hamamatsu, central Japan, at about 2:00pm (0500 GMT) and was moving northeast across the major island of Honshu. The storm has already killed at least four people and more than a million were initially warned to leave their homes over fears that torrential rains could cause widespread flooding. Hundreds of flights were cancelled, ferry and rail services were suspended and roads closed as the country prepared for the impact of the storm. Roke comes just six months after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami laid waste to a vast area of Japan's Pacific coast, sparking nuclear meltdowns at Fukushima. It also comes less than a month after a vicious typhoon barrelled through Japan, killing 100 people in the deadliest storm the country has seen for more than three decades. Four people have so far been found dead in central and western Japan, while two people are missing in the central prefecture of Gifu, including a boy who disappeared on his way home from primary school. A tornado warning was temporarily raised across the Tokyo area, but expired a few hours after it was issued. Many of the initial evacuation advisories were dropped by Wednesday lunchtime, but remained in force for around 330,000 people nationwide.
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