Damage and fatalities: Typhoon RAGASA wreaks havoc in Southeast Asia

Super Typhoon RAGASA has now reached Hong Kong and China in Southeast Asia, bringing with it strong winds and heavy rainfall. It had previously caused severe damage in the Philippines and Taiwan, claiming the lives of over 20 people.

There, it made landfall with wind speeds of over 200 kilometres per hour in some areas. High waves caused flooding along the coast.

Today, the cyclone is hitting southern China as a typhoon of the second-highest category. In the densely populated coastal province of Guangdong, more than a million people have been brought to safety since yesterday. In neighbouring Hong Kong, too, public life has largely come to a standstill.

The typhoon remains very dangerous because it will initially continue to move westward along the Chinese coast and only then slowly weaken over land.