'Never Seen Anything Like This': Viral Videos Capture Destruction As Typhoon Ragasa Batters Hong Kong, South China

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Typhoon Ragasa, one of the strongest in recent years, has caused deadly destruction across Taiwan, the Philippines, and southern China. The storm's impact was also felt in Hong Kong, where waves taller than lampposts battered promenades.

In Taiwan, 17 people have died after floods submerged roads and swept away vehicles in one county. The northern Philippines has reported 10 deaths.

The typhoon continued its path into southern China, where nearly 1.9 million people were relocated across Guangdong province. A weather station in Chuandao town recorded a historic maximum gust of 241 kph. On the coast of Zhuhai city, huge waves and intense rain battered the city, with fallen tree branches scattered across the streets.

A social media user shared video footage from the Fullerton Hotel Ocean Park in Hong Kong on the social media platform X and said,“I have never seen anything like this before.”

The typhoon made landfall along the coast of Hailing Island in Yangjiang city at about 5 PM, packing maximum winds near the centre of 144 kph, reported Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

The typhoon is forecast to keep moving west, prompting the suspension of some train services in the Guangxi region on Thursday.

The Chinese government allocated 150 million yuan ($21 million) for relief efforts in Guangdong, Hainan and Fujian provinces.

Hong Kong's observatory said Ragasa had maximum sustained winds near the centre of about 195 kph and skirted around 100 kilometres to the south of the city. Hong Kong categorises cyclones with sustained winds of 185 kph or stronger as super typhoons to make residents extra vigilant about intense storms.

Fierce winds sway crane, vessel crashes ashore

The storm's fierce winds also hit Hong Kong, waking residents in the early hours of the morning. Online reports described scenes of a kitchen ventilation fan being blown down and a swaying crane.

The winds tore away parts of a pedestrian bridge's roof, knocked down hundreds of trees, and sent a vessel crashing ashore, shattering glass railings. Flooding was reported in areas around rivers and promenades, and 90 injured people were treated at hospitals.

Both Hong Kong and Macao, a nearby casino hub, canceled schools and flights. Many shops were closed, and hundreds of people sought refuge in temporary shelters. In Macao, streets turned into streams with floating debris, and rescue crews used inflatable boats to save those who were trapped.

The city's local electricity supplier suspended power in some flooded, low-lying areas as a safety precaution.

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