Typhoon Mangkhut rips through HK, Taiwan

HONG KONG: Typhoon Mangkhut rocked Hong Kong en route to mainland China on Sunday, injuring scores and sending skyscrapers swaying, after killing at least 30 people in the Philippines and ripping a swathe of destruction through its agricultural heartland.

The world’s biggest storm this year left large expanses in the north of the main Philippine main island of Luzon underwater as fierce winds tore trees from the ground and rain unleashed dozens of landslides.

In Hong Kong weather authorities issued their maximum alert for the storm, which battered the city with gusts of more than 230 kilometers per hour (kph) and left over 100 injured, according to

As the storm passed south of Hong Kong, trees were snapped in half and roads blocked, while some windows in tower blocks were smashed and skyscrapers swayed, as they are designed to do in intense gales.

In addition to the 30 killed in the Philippines, a woman was swept out to sea in Taiwan.

Waters surged in Hong Kong’s

Pedestrians in Yangjiang, in China’s Guangdong province, try to battle the strong winds and heavy rains of Super Typhoon Mangkhut on September 16. famous Victoria Harbor and coastal fishing villages, from which hundreds of residents were evacuated to storm shelters.

Some roads were waist- deep in water with parts of the city cut

Sunday afternoon continued.

as the

rains

where many residents live in stilt houses built over the sea, some desperately tried to bail out their inundated homes.

“Floodwater is rushing into my home but I’m continuously shoveling the water out. It’s a race

King-cheung told AFP by phone.

The government warned people to stay indoors but some ventured out, heading to the coast to take photos.

A couple and child were seen by an AFP reporter taking pictures on a pier known as a popular Instagram spot as waves surged into it and almost submerged it.

Others stayed at home but were

their apartments.