An elderly woman has died after falling from a rescue helicopter as Japan was hit by the strongest storm in six decades.

The 77-year-old fell about 130 feet to the ground after she was accidentally dropped during an airlift on Sunday, public broadcaster NHK said.

At least 35 people have so far been killed by Typhoon Hagibis, which has brought record levels of rain and left some 425,000 homes without power.

Another 20 people are missing and dozens more injured, Kyodo News has reported, based on information provided by rescuers and other authorities.

The transport ministry has also revealed that a Panama-registered cargo ship has been found sunk in waters near Tokyo after authorities lost contact with it on Saturday.

Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Show all 30 1 /30 Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years CHIBA, JAPAN - OCTOBER 13: Buildings lie in ruins after they were hit by a tornado shortly before the arrival of Typhoon Hagibis, on October 13, 2019 in Chiba, Japan. At least five people are reported dead and many others are missing after Typhoon Hagibis, one of the most powerful storms in decades, swept across Japan. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Carl Court Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years CHIBA, JAPAN - OCTOBER 13: People sort through the debris of buildings that were destroyed by a tornado shortly before the arrival of Typhoon Hagibis, on October 13, 2019 in Chiba, Japan. At least five people are reported dead and many others are missing after Typhoon Hagibis, one of the most powerful storms in decades, swept across Japan. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Carl Court Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years epa07917090 Workers standing in flood water check the conditions of their office (unseen) after the passage of Typhoon Hagibis in Nagano, Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, 13 October 2019. According to reports, Tyhoon Hagibis has killed at least 24 people, injured 170 people and left some 170 others missing. The strong typhoon forced the suspension of railway services all over the country and cancelled about 1,600 domestic and international flights. EPA/KIMIMASA MAYAMA KIMIMASA MAYAMA EPA Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years A residential area flooded by the Chikuma river, caused by Typhoon Hagibis is seen in Nagano, central Japan, October 13, 2019, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. JAPAN OUT. KYODO REUTERS Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years epa07917078 An aerial picture shows a nursing care home in a flooded area in Kawagoe, Saitama prefecture, Japan, 13 October 2019. According to latest media reports, at least 25 people have died and more than 10 are missing after powerful typhoon Hagibis hit Japan provoking landslides and rivers overflowing across the country. EPA/JIJI PRESS JAPAN OUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/ NO ARCHIVES JIJI PRESS EPA Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years epa07919525 Residents hug as they reunite in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, in Nagano, Japan, 14 October 2019. According to media reports, at least 40 people died, more than 180 people were injured and at least 16 went missing as the typhoon made landfall in Japan. Hagibis, the strongest typhoon recorded this season, forced the suspension of many Japan railway services all over the country. About 1,600 domestic and international flights were cancelled. Japan's Meteorological Agency issued evacuation order for more than four million people. EPA/KIMIMASA MAYAMA KIMIMASA MAYAMA EPA Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years This aerial view shows a flooded area beside the Abukuma river in Marumori, Miyagi prefecture on October 13, 2019, one day after Typhoon Hagibis swept through central and eastern Japan. - At least 15 people are dead and nine others missing, officials said on October 13, a day after powerful Typhoon Hagibis slammed into Japan, unleashing "unprecedented" rain and catastrophic flooding. (Photo by JIJI PRESS / JIJI PRESS / AFP) / Japan OUT (Photo by JIJI PRESS/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images) JIJI PRESS JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years A family rest at an evacuation shelter in Nagano on October 14, 2019, after Typhoon Hagibis crashed into Japan on October 12, unleashing high winds and torrential rain across 36 of the country's 47 prefectures, and triggering landslides and catastrophic flooding. - Tens of thousands of rescue workers in Japan battled on October 14 to find survivors of a powerful typhoon that killed at least 43 people, as fresh rain threatened to hamper efforts. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP) (Photo by KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images) KAZUHIRO NOGI AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Rescue workers search a flooded area in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, which caused severe floods at the Chikuma River in Nagano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, October 14, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon KIM KYUNG-HOON Reuters Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Vehicles are seen under water following the typhoon-hit town of Marumori, Miyagi prefecture, Japan , Monday, Oct. 14, 2019. Typhoon Hagibis unleashed torrents of rain and strong winds Saturday, leaving thousands of homes on Japan's main island flooded, damaged or without power. (Kyodo News via AP) AP Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years NAGANO, JAPAN - OCTOBER 14: A man pushes his bike past an upturned car in a road that was flooded during Typhoon Hagibis, on October 14, 2019 in Nagano, Japan. Japan has mobilised 110,000 rescuer workers after Typhoon Hagibis, the most powerful storm in decades, swept across the country leaving 37 dead and around 20 missing. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Carl Court Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years In this Oct. 13, 2019, photo, Canadian rugby team players volunteer to clean a road in Kamaishi, Iwate prefecture, Japan, following the cancellation of their Rugby World Cup Pool B match against Namibia due to Typhoon Hagibis. The powerful typhoon unleashed torrents of rain and strong winds Saturday that left thousands of homes on Japan's main island flooded, damaged or without power. (Kyodo News via AP) AP Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years A small pickup truck is submerged in floodwaters at an apple orchard, Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, in Hoyasu, Japan. Rescue crews in Japan dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday as they looked for those missing from a typhoon that left as many as 36 dead and caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Jae C. Hong AP Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years TOPSHOT - This aerial view shows a damaged train bridge over the swollen Chikuma river in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis in Ueda, Nagano prefecture on October 13, 2019. - At least 26 people were killed by powerful Typhoon Hagibis, local media reported on October 13, a day after the ferocious storm slammed into Japan, unleashing unprecedented rain and catastrophic flooding. (Photo by STR / JIJI PRESS / AFP) / Japan OUT (Photo by STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images) STR JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years epa07919551 Residents walk through a typhoon-affected area in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, in Nagano, Japan, 14 October 2019. According to media reports, at least 40 people died, more than 180 people were injured and at least 16 went missing as the typhoon made landfall in Japan. Hagibis, the strongest typhoon recorded this season, forced the suspension of many Japan railway services all over the country. About 1,600 domestic and international flights were cancelled. Japan's Meteorological Agency issued evacuation order for more than four million people. EPA/KIMIMASA MAYAMA KIMIMASA MAYAMA EPA Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years A building is surrounded by floodwaters Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, in Hoyasu, Japan. Rescue crews in Japan dug through mudslides and searched near swollen rivers Monday as they looked for those missing from a typhoon that left as many as 36 dead and caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Jae C. Hong AP Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Emergency personnel paddle across floodwaters using an inflatable raft during search and rescue operations in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, in Nagano on October 14, 2019. - Tens of thousands of rescue workers were searching October 14 for survivors of powerful Typhoon Hagibis, two days after the storm slammed into Japan, killing at least 35 people. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP) (Photo by KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images) KAZUHIRO NOGI AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years This photo shows a flooded area in Nagano, central Japan following Typhoon Hagibis , Monday, Oct. 14, 2019. The typhoon dropped record amounts of rain for a period in some spots, according to meteorological officials, causing more than 20 rivers to overflow. Some of the muddy waters in streets, fields and residential areas have subsided. But many places remained flooded, with homes and surrounding roads covered in mud and littered with broken wooden pieces and debris. (Kyodo News via AP) AP Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years NAGANO, JAPAN - OCTOBER 14: Shinkansen bullet trains sit stationary after being flooded during Typhoon Hagibis, on October 14, 2019 in Nagano, Japan. Japan has mobilised 110,000 rescuer workers after Typhoon Hagibis, the most powerful storm in decades, swept across the country leaving 37 dead and around 20 missing. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Carl Court Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years MARUMORI, JAPAN - OCTOBER 14: A woman is rescued by police officers in an area that was flooded by Typhoon Hagibis on October 14, 2019 in Marumori, Miyagi, Japan. Japan has mobilised 110,000 rescuer workers after Typhoon Hagibis, the most powerful storm in decades, swept across the country leaving 37 dead and around 20 missing. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images) Tomohiro Ohsumi Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years MARUMORI, JAPAN - OCTOBER 14: Police officers search an area by boat that was flooded by Typhoon Hagibis on October 14, 2019 in Marumori, Miyagi, Japan. Japan has mobilised 110,000 rescuer workers after Typhoon Hagibis, the most powerful storm in decades, swept across the country leaving 37 dead and around 20 missing. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images) Tomohiro Ohsumi Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years epaselect epa07919532 A resident reacts as he walks through a typhoon-affected area in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, in Nagano, Japan, 14 October 2019. According to media reports, at least 40 people died, more than 180 people were injured and at least 16 went missing as the typhoon made landfall in Japan. Hagibis, the strongest typhoon recorded this season, forced the suspension of many Japan railway services all over the country. About 1,600 domestic and international flights were cancelled. Japan's Meteorological Agency issued evacuation order for more than four million people. EPA/KIMIMASA MAYAMA KIMIMASA MAYAMA EPA Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Damaged houses caused by weather patterns from Typhoon Hagibis are seen in Ichihara, Chiba prefecture on October 12, 2019. - Powerful Typhoon Hagibis on October 12 claimed its first victim even before making landfall, as potentially record-breaking rains and high winds sparked evacuation orders for more than a million people. (Photo by Jiji Press / JIJI PRESS / AFP) / Japan OUT (Photo by JIJI PRESS/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images) JIJI Press/AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years A taxi speeds through water covering a road in the Aoyama district of Tokyo on October 12, 2019, as the effects of Typhoon Hagibis is started to be felt in Japan's capital. - Powerful Typhoon Hagibis on October 12 claimed its first victim even before making landfall, as potentially record-breaking rains and high winds sparked evacuation orders for more than 1.6 million people. (Photo by William WEST / AFP) (Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images) AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Pedestrians hold onto their umbrellas as rain falls amid strong winds in Tokyo on October 12, 2019, ahead of Typhoon Hagibis' expected landfall in central or eastern Japan later in the evening. - Powerful Typhoon Hagibis on October 12 claimed its first victim even before making landfall, as potentially record-breaking rains and high winds sparked evacuation orders for more than 1.6 million people. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images) AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years A man walks past empty shelves in a store in Tokyo on October 11, 2019, as typhoon Hagibis heads towards the city. - Japan braced on October 11 for a powerful typhoon barrelling towards Tokyo that has already forced the cancellation of two Rugby World Cup matches, disrupted the Suzuka Grand Prix and grounded flights. (Photo by Franck FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images) AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years YOKOHAMA, JAPAN - OCTOBER 12: Staff close the entrance to the Shinkansen at Shin-Yokohama Station as all services are suspended ahead of Typhoon Hagibis on October 12, 2019 in Yokohama, Japan. Meteorologists forecast Typhoon Hagibis which has rapidly intensified will hit the mainland today resulting in record-breaking rain and winds to the Tokai area, and the Kanto region, including Tokyo. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years TOKYO, JAPAN - OCTOBER 12: A man covers over a doorway to a pachinko parlour ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Hagibis on October 12, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. Typhoon Hagibis is the most powerful typhoon to hit Japan this year and has been classed by the Japan Meteorological Agency as a 'violent typhoon' - the highest category on Japans typhoon scale. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Commuters take taxi under the rain at an entrance of the JR Tokyo Station on October 12, 2019, ahead of Typhoon Hagibis' expected landfall in central or eastern Japan later in the evening. - Typhoon Hagibis, rated "large and very strong", has forced the cancellation of two Rugby World Cup matches, disrupted the Suzuka Grand Prix and grounded more than 1,600 flights. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP) (Photo by KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images) AFP/Getty Typhoon Hagibis - Japan hit by strongest storm in 60 years Typhoon Hagibis - Saturday 12 October YOKOHAMA, JAPAN - OCTOBER 12: Shin-Yokohama Station is seen deserted as retail outlets are closed and all Shinkansen services are suspended ahead of Typhoon Hagibis on October 12, 2019 in Yokohama, Japan. Meteorologists forecast Typhoon Hagibis which has rapidly intensified will hit the mainland today resulting in record-breaking rain and winds to the Tokai area, and the Kanto region, including Tokyo. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) Getty

The Yomiuri newspaper has reported at least five of the crew’s 12 members have died and four people have been rescued.

About 360 people were left stranded after an embankment of the Chikuma River in Nagano collapsed.

Rescue efforts have been complicated as ten rivers in central and northeastern Japan burst their banks and dozens of others overflowed, the Japanese government said.

Evacuation centres filled up with residents after Hagibis, which means “speed” in the Philippine language of Tagalog, made landfall on Saturday evening.

Rie Hasegawa, a woman in her 30s, told Reuters she never imagined her landlocked town would face a water-related disaster.

“The force of the water was incredible. It was dark, frightening, and I thought this might be the end,” she said.

Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister, has convened an emergency meeting of ministers and set up a task force to deal with damage from the storm.

“The government will do everything in its power to cooperate with relevant agencies and operators working to restore services as soon as possible,” he said.

The full extent of the damage has not yet emerged as many areas remained underwater on Sunday, public broadcaster NHK said.

Tokyo Electric Power Co has reported irregular readings from sensors monitoring water overnight in its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which was crippled by a 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Despite the typhoon, a Rugby World Cup match between Japan and Scotland went ahead today, in which host country Japan progressed to the quarter finals.

However, a match between Namibia and Canada in Kamaishi was cancelled.

Just last month, another strong storm, Typhoon Faxai, destroyed or damaged 30,000 houses in Chiba, east of Tokyo, and caused extensive power outages.