Typhoon Hato wreaks havoc in Hong Kong and Macau, six killed
HONG KONG: Typhoon Hato left five dead in Mac au on Wednesday as it brought chaos and destruction to the enclave after sweeping through neighbouring Hong Kong, where one man also died.
Local media showed severe flooding had left cars underwater and people swimming in Mac au’ s city streets, with the territory’s mega-casinos running on back-up generators.
The water supply was also limited, authorities said, and 50 flights cancelled from its international airport.
Hurricane winds and heavy rain had earlier hit Hong Kong, leaving an 83-year-old man dead after he fell into the sea, police said, and more than 120 injured.
The typhoon shut down the stock market and forced the can- cellation of hundreds of flights in the worst storm the city has seen for five years.
Meteorologists raised the Hong Kong’s most severe Typhoon 10 warning as the storm hit, only the third time in the past 20 years. The typhoon passed as close as 60 km and made landfall in the southern mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai.
Thousands of people were evacuated Tuesday in parts of south China in preparation for the typhoon’s arrival, the official Xinhua news agency said.
More than 400 flights were cancelled, with flag carrier Cathay Pacific axing most departures.
Hong Kong is regularly besieged by typhoons between July and October, but direct hits are rare. AFP