BEIJING (AP) – The most powerful typhoon to hit the southern Chinese region in more than half a century has left at least 12 dead as a sudden deluge swamped the gambling hub of Macau, submerging streets and stranding residents.
Eight people were killed in Macau, including two men found overnight in a parking garage. Another 153 were injured amid extensive flooding, power outages, and the smashing of doors and windows by the high winds and driving rain.
Xinhua News Agency says four more people were killed in the neighboring province of Guangdong and one is missing. Hato roared with winds of up to 160 kilometers (99 miles) per hour.
Macau lawmaker Jose Pereira Coutinho says “people were just swimming, they cried for help. There were no boats. The water came so suddenly.”