Fierce winds, pounding rain and rough seas battered southern China on Wednesday as powerful Typhoon Ragasa made landfall in Guangdong province after killing at least 14 in Taiwan.
Ragasa churned into Guangdong, home to tens of millions of people, with winds up to 145km/h (90 miles per hour).
AFP journalists at the impact point in the city of Yangjiang saw flying debris and gusts ripping advertisements off buildings.
The typhoon had hours earlier swept past Hong Kong, with the densely populated city’s weather service ranking the storm the strongest yet in the northwestern Pacific this year.
Ragasa’s passage in Taiwan killed at least 14 and injured 46 when a decades-old barrier lake burst in eastern Hualien County under the storm’s heavy rains, according to regional officials who late Wednesday revised the death toll down from 17 after duplicate cases were rechecked.
Authorities had earlier reported that 152 people were unaccounted for, but later revised that figure down, stating that they had made contact with more than 100 of those reported missing and were still trying to confirm the number of missing individuals.
Around 1200 people were preparing to spend a second night in shelters after the flood.
“This is our second night here. Comfortable or not ... being safe is enough. It doesn’t matter where we sleep,” Kaniw Looh, a local church elder, 64, told AFP.
More than 7600 people were evacuated due to Ragasa, and footage released by the fire agency showed flooded streets, half-submerged cars, and uprooted trees.
Authorities across mainland China have ordered businesses and schools to shut down in at least 10 cities nationwide, affecting tens of millions of people.
Nearly 2.2 million people across Guangdong had been relocated as of 4pm Wednesday (local time), state news agency Xinhua said.
The storm made landfall along the coast of Hailing Island, near Yangjiang City around 5pm (local time), Chinese meteorologists said.
Ferocious winds destroyed fences and downed trees, leaving fallen branches on the ground, AFP journalists saw.
The Yangjiang train station – normally bustling with activity, locals said – stood empty, with rail travel suspended Wednesday across Guangdong.
For a period of several hours, the powerful typhoon shook buildings as sheets of rain poured down on the city.
Fire engines drove through mostly deserted streets as the winds whipped branches along the road and toppled motorbikes that had been parked along the pavement.
Chinese authorities earmarked the equivalent of about $49.2 million to support rescue and relief work in regions hit by Typhoon Ragasa, Xinhua said.
Hong Kong authorities reported that 90 people had been treated for injuries sustained during the typhoon period at public hospitals as of Wednesday nightfall.
More than 860 people sought refuge at the 50 temporary shelters across the city.
The Chinese finance hub recorded hundreds of fallen trees and flooding in multiple neighbourhoods. Many of the city’s tall buildings swayed and rattled in the harsh winds.
At the Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel, located next to a theme park, a man was seen losing his balance after a storm surge shattered the glass front doors and swept into the lobby, according to a video circulating online and verified by AFP.
A hotel spokesperson said there were no injuries.
Floodwaters rushed into the seaside Heng Fa Chuen residential estate and covered its interior courtyards, another video clip showed.
“It’s like the end of the world... I never expected to see it as bad as this,” said IT manager Paul Yendle near a heavily damaged restaurant in the Tseung Kwan O area, another area near the harbour.
An off-duty firefighter surnamed Tse told AFP he was “a bit worried” about the safety of nearby bamboo scaffolding as he walked home after an 11-hour shift of “non-stop” work.
The Airport Authority said “only a limited number of cargo flights” were scheduled for Wednesday, with its website listing hundreds of cancelled passenger flights.
A 5-year-old boy and his mother fell into the sea on Tuesday afternoon while they were watching the waves in the Chai Wan district, according to police.
Both were rushed to hospital and the mother remained in critical condition on Wednesday morning.
The casino hub of Macau – which also saw widespread flooding – has suspended power supply to some low-lying areas, according to utility company CEM.
The typhoon trampled parts of the northern Philippines earlier this week and killed at least eight people, including seven fishermen.
Scientists warn that storms are becoming more powerful as the world warms because of the effects of human-driven climate change.
- Agence France-Presse