Super Typhoon Ragasa wreaks havoc in Hong Kong, Taiwan's deadly lake burst claims 14 lives

Super Typhoon Ragasa battered Hong Kong on Wednesday with fierce winds, heavy rain, and high seas as it moved toward southern China, following a deadly lake burst in Taiwan that claimed at least 14 lives, reported AFP.

In Hong Kong, the storm toppled trees and caused flooding across multiple neighborhoods. Footage circulated online showed a surge smashing through the glass doors of an upscale hotel, flooding its lobby.



By midday, Ragasa was gradually moving away from the city, but the Hong Kong Observatory warned that hurricane-force winds and a storm surge of more than three meters above normal levels would continue to lash coastal areas.


Nearby Macau also faced widespread flooding, prompting utility company CEM to cut power to some low-lying districts.


In Taiwan, at least 14 people were killed and 18 injured in eastern Hualien County after a decades-old lake barrier burst under Ragasa’s impact.


According to AFP, the Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management said the typhoon is expected to make landfall along Guangdong’s coast between Zhuhai and Zhanjiang later Wednesday. Authorities have ordered schools and businesses to close in at least 10 cities across southern China, affecting tens of millions of residents.

Streets were largely empty by Wednesday morning in Yangjiang, west of Hong Kong, as wind speeds increased. The normally busy Yangjiang train station was deserted, with rail services suspended across Guangdong province in anticipation of the storm.