More than hundred reported injured, thousands flee to shelters

  HONG KONG – Typhoon Hato left a trail of destruction and death in southern China on Wednesday. At least 10 people were reported killed in Macau, Hong Kong and Zhuhai city in Guangdong province as the typhoon, the strongest one to hit the region in five years. Five people died in the gambling enclave of Macau in falls or accidents caused by torrential rain and gusts while an octogenarian fell into the sea in Hong Kong. Four persons died in Zhuhai. One hundred fifty people were reported injured in Macau. With Hato (pigeon in Japanese) packing maximum sustained winds of 78 mph and gusts of up to 129 mph, Hong Kong authorities raised Signal No. 10 – the highest level. According to reports quoting the Hong Kong Observatory, Signal No. 10 has been raised only 14 times since 1946 or once every 72 storms. The last time it went that high was for Typhoon Vicente in 2012. The center of Typhoon Hato made landfall at Zhuhai at about noon on Wednesday. The eye came just 80 kilometers of Hong Kong. Hato's hurricane force winds and heavy rains battered southern China - flooding streets in Macau and Hong Kong, shattering windows on skyscrapers, closing down the stock market, offices and schools, and forcing more than 20,000 people to flee to shelters. Clips of the typhoon's wrath and ensuing floods and destruction were posted on social media by Hong Kong and Macau residents. As residents of the region struggled to pick up the pieces after Typhoon Hato passed, authorities estimated economic losses as a result of the typhoon at 4 billion to 8 billion Hong Kong dollars. At the Hong Kong International Airport, more than 400 flights in and out of the territory were cancelled, stranding thousands of domestic and international passengers. Flights were expected to resume today and the Hong Kong Airport Authority is reportedly keeping two runways open overnight to cope with the backlog. Flights in other airports in the region were also cancelled but are expected to resume today, Macau is engulfed in darkness because of a blackout with casinos and hotels running on backup power provided by generators. Meanwhile, Macau-based meteorologist Clarence Fong Chi-kong told the South China Morning Post that the typhoon passed south of Hong Kong, which meant that it spent more time over water, allowing it to pick up force. He also said most typhoons have approached from the east and packed less of a punch. GAC/Expat 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