Philippine Consul General to Hong Kong Antonio Morales said on Monday that two Filipinos sustained minor injuries while at least 37 others were rescued as Typhoon “Mangkhut” or “Ompong” pounded the former British colony after devastating the Philippines.
The two Filipinas, who were hurt by falling debris, are now out of danger, Morales said, when interviewed over ANC.
Morales also said that 32 Filipino tourists were rescued from a tour bus that was stranded on a bridge on its way to the airport where all flights were canceled.
They were brought back to their hotel in the Kowloon area, the Filipino diplomat said, adding that the Filipino tourists are all safe.
Morales also reported that five more Filipina workers were rescued by Hong Kong authorities from a dive resort development.
He called on the 220,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong to avoid going outdoors as clearing operations may still “take some time.”
As this developed, the Hong Kong government began a massive cleanup Monday after Typhoon Mangkhut (Ompong) raked the city, shredding trees and bringing damaging floods, in a trail of destruction that left millions evacuated in Southern China.
The Hong Kong government described the damage as “severe and extensive” with more than 300 people injured in Mangkhut, which triggered the maximum “T10” typhoon alert.
The monumental task of cleaning up the city began as residents, some in suits and ties, struggled to get back to work on roads that remained blocked by felled trees, mud and debris.
Schools were closed, bus services halted, and travel disruption saw commuters piling onto platforms trying to board infrequent trains after trees fell on overhead lines.
Landslides and severe flooding affected some areas, with over 1,500 residents seeking refuge in temporary shelters overnight.
The storm, with gusts of more than 230 kilometers per hour (142 mph), sent buildings swaying and waters surging into homes and shopping malls in Hong Kong, with some roads waist-deep in water.
Windows in tower blocks and skyscrapers were smashed as people cowered inside.
In the neighborhood of Heng Fa Chuen, thousands of rocks and pebbles from the sea covered parkland along the coastline which had been battered by waves.
Low-lying fishing villages were also badly affected after seawater swept through.
Streets in the seaside village of Lei Yue Mun were covered in debris and glass as residents picked their way through.
The city’s main Victoria Park had become an obstacle course with hundreds of trees down and many completely uprooted.
Emergency teams were sawing apart some of the biggest trees blocking roads and pathways across the city in a cleanup operation that is likely to take days.
In the neighboring gambling enclave of Macau, all 42 casinos shut down for the first time in its history as the storm approached.
They opened again on Monday but Macau was still in recovery mode after severe flooding hit parts of the city, forcing emergency workers to rescue people from their shops and homes using boats and jetskis.
As the storm moved past the enclave Sunday, streets became submerged under water gushing in from the harbor.
On Monday morning, shopkeepers in Macau were hosing down their stores which had been left caked in mud after the flood waters receded.
People were attempting to dry out cupboards and electrical appliances on the streets as police and volunteers helped with the clear-up.
The government and casinos took extra measures ahead of the storm, determined to avoid a repeat of Typhoon Hato which battered Macau last year, killing 12 people and drawing accusations the city was ill-prepared.
Meanwhile, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda on Monday offered his sincerest condolences to the families of the victims of Typhoon Ompong and expressed his sympathies to all those affected.
The Japanese government also vowed to provide the maximum possible assistance to the Philippine government to help those affected by the typhoon.
“I would like to extend my heartfelt sympathy to the government of the Philippines and its people on the damages from Typhoon Ompong in the Northern Philippines,” Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said in a message delivered to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano
“The Government of Japan stands with the government of the Philippines and its people and is ready to provide the maximum possible assistance to the Philippines,” Kono said.
“My deepest condolences are with the bereaved and I sincerely pray for the speedy recovery of the affected people as well as the prompt restoration of the affected areas,” he added.
The death toll in the Philippines, where the main island of Luzon was battered with fierce winds and rain, rose to 65 overnight as rescuers pulled more bodies from a huge landslide in the mountain town of Itogon.
The landslide buried an emergency shelter which was being used by miners and their families in the town.
No one has yet been pulled alive from the rubble and relatives of those buried are taking part in the rescue efforts, the town’s mayor Victorio Palangdan said.
National police spokesman Sr. Supt. Benigno Durana said 43 other people are missing, and more than 155,000 people remain in evacuation centres two days after the typhoon struck.
Farms across northern Luzon, which produces much of the nation’s rice and corn, were sitting under muddy floodwater, their crops ruined just a month before harvest.
After tearing through Luzon and pummelling Hong Kong and Macau, the storm made landfall in mainland China late Sunday, killing four in
Guangdong province, including three hit by falling trees.
Authorities there said they had evacuated more than three million people and ordered tens of thousands of fishing boats back to port before the arrival of what Chinese m dia had dubbed the “King of Storms.” With AFP
