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Huge clear-up operations were under way in southern China and Hong Kong on Thursday, after Super Typhoon Ragasa battered the region, causing widespread flooding and damaged roads.
Ragasa, the most powerful tropical cyclone so far this year, left a trail of damage across Hong Kong, which resumed international flights on Thursday but kept kindergartens and some schools closed. In the economic hub of Guangdong province in mainland China, where more than 2 million people were evacuated ahead of the super typhoon, crews used excavators to clear thousands of toppled trees and unblock roads.
Earlier, Ragasa caused deadly destruction across Taiwan, where 14 people were killed, and the Philippines, where 11 deaths were reported.
As the scale of damage continued to emerge, social media videos showed residents in Macau fishing in flooded streets, using nets, bags and a dustpan to catch fish swept away by Ragasa. The authorities had warned people to stay indoors.
Footage has shown the fierce strength of Ragasa, which peaked at super typhoon strength on Monday with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (265km/h). In one video, the storm surge smashed through the glass doors of an upmarket hotel in Hong Kong, flooding its lobby.
The state broadcaster CCTV reported that more than 50,000 trees were destroyed across the Guangdong city of Yangjiang, while in Zhuhai streets were flooded, with rescuers using inflatable boats to rescue stranded residents. Water reached some first-floor homes in older neighbourhoods, Southern Metropolis Daily reported.
More than 56,000 households in Guangdong suffered a power outage by Wednesday night.
Ragasa, which is now traveling west along the southern Chinese coast towards Vietnam, has since weakened into a tropical storm, though the threat of heavy rain remains for China, Vietnam and other parts of south-east Asia.
Vietnam’s prime minister, Phạm Minh Chính, has ordered officials to protect infrastructure, including dams and hospitals, secure fishing vessels and prepare search and rescue operations. Some flights have been cancelled or rescheduled, while workers trimmed trees to avoid wind hazards in the northern part of the country.
Hong Kong maintained its second lowest typhoon signal 3, though its airport authority said airlines would gradually resume flights starting from 6am (10:00 GMT) on Thursday, with all three runways operating simultaneously. More than 100 people were injured in Hong Kong.
