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Screenshot from a collection of private footage of the typhoon hitting Hong Kong.
16 Sep 2018

Typhoon Mangkhut hits Hong Kong after killing 60 in the Philippines

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After killing around 60 people in the Philippines, typhoon Mangkhut is now hitting Hong Kong hard. Authorities have issued the highest level of typhoon alert and almost 2,5 millions people have been evacuated.

Statements about how many people lost their lives in the Philippines differ: some media sources say at least 49 people, others 64. The death rate is expected to increase and intensive USAR work is currently under way. At least 32 miners have been found dead after a landslide buried a building.

Now typhoon Mangkhut continues to spread terror in Southeast Asia. Currently the typhoon is located just south of the  city of Hong Kong and the highest warning on a ten-tier scale is issued. With winds of up to 60 meters per second (close to 200 kmph) it is considered a category 5 typhoon.

The storm has left at least two people dead in China's Guangdong province, a Chinese state broadcaster said.

More than 2.4 million people had fled their homes in southern China's Guangdong province by Sunday evening to avoid the massive typhoon, and nearly 50,000 fishing boats were called back to port, state media reported.

After the authorities issued the typhoon alert, all stores closed and the subway station stopped. Windows are taped to prevent them from being pushed out from the strong winds.

Mangkhut is the most powerful storm so far this year - on the whole planet.

At least five people have been injured in Macao, which, like Hong Kong, is a special administrative region in China. Macao is perhaps best known for its casinos and on Sundays all venues have been closed by Mangkhut's ramp.

In Tai Kok Tsui in northwestern Hong Kong, a construction crane has collapsed from a construction site and a school has collapsed.

All schools in Hong Kong and Macao will be closed during Monday, no matter how the weather looks like tomorrow.

900 flights have been canceled due to the typhoon.