Typhoon Hato hits Macau and southern China: 12 dead and many missing
It is the strongest since 1968. Floods and winds with a force above 200 km / h have caused damage throughout the area. The typhoon had hit Hong Kong yesterday, now moving to the hinterland, but was downgraded to tropical storm.
Macao (AsiaNews / Agencies) - There are at least eight identified victims and numerous missing in the Macau region, south of China, hit yesterday by one of the strongest typhoons ever registered in the area. At least 150 people were injured. The total number of deaths caused by typhoon "Hato" would amount to 12, four reported in the Guangdong region. According to the national broadcaster Tdm, Hato belongs to the highest category (10) and is the strongest typhoon since 1968.
This morning, a state employee commented that the city appeared to be "in war." At seven o'clock in the morning, 365 incidents had been reported due to bad weather, including floods, uprooted trees and damaged billboards.
The enclave, famous for gambling, has been hit by heavy floods. The last two bodies were found in a flooded parking lot. Winds with a force above 200 km / h hit apartments throughout Macau, smashing doors and carrying glass splinters. The water distribution system has been critically damaged and electricity has been lost for more than half the territory.
About 600,000 people live in Macau.
First, Typhoon Hato had hit Hong Kong's financial center uprooting trees, flooding roads, and forcing hundreds of flights to be canceled. There are 34 injured. Hato then moved to Macau, passing through the mouth of the Perle River and Guangdong Province. Here, several flights and trains were canceled, while thousands of coastal residents were evacuated. According to CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri, about 60 million people have been affected in the high-density population.
This morning the typhoon was downgraded to tropical storm, and it is 680 km west of Hong Kong. It is expected that its strength will weaken even more as it moves into the Chinese hinterland.
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11/07/2005
