Super Typhoon Ragasa hits Asia: floods, deaths, mass evacuations

Super Typhoon Ragasa, one of the strongest storms in recent years, continued its deadly path across Asia on Wednesday.

It battered Hong Kong’s coastline and neighbouring Macau with huge waves, submerging roads and flooding hotels, shops, and buildings.

Earlier, it swept through the Philippines and Taiwan, where at least 15 people died after a lake burst causing severe flooding in the east of the country.

Local media footage showed collapsed buildings, debris-strewn streets, and cars piled up in thick layers of mud.

Although floodwaters have since receded, rescuers continued house-to-house searches on Wednesday, as mud and debris still blocked many roads.

Torrential rain and howling wind brought the region to a standstill, with Hong Kong cancelling hundreds of flights.

Schools were shut in and China evacuated nearly two million people from Guangdong province as Ragasa barrelled towards the mainland.

The tropical cyclone, which formed over the Western Pacific last week, rapidly intensified to become a Category 5 super typhoon on Monday with winds exceeding 260 kph.

It has since weakened to a Category 3 typhoon, which is still capable of bringing down trees and power lines, shattering windows, and damaging buildings.

By Rédaction Africanews