A destructive typhoon has swept through East Asia and even crashed into a Hong Kong hotel as the natural disaster’s death toll reaches 17 people. Super Typhoon Ragasa initially made landfall in the Philippines and Taiwan on Tuesday, September 23, before it struck Hong Kong a day later, according to PEOPLE.
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Super Typhoon Ragasa Breaches Hotel Entrance In Shocking Video
Most of Ragasa’s destruction happened in eastern Taiwan when a barrier lake burst in Hualien County. 17 people were confirmed as deceased, while another 17 are missing and 32 are injured, as the BBC reported.
Despite this typhoon weakening after making landfall, it has made travel conditions dangerous. Not only that, but the typhoon hit the Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel in the coastal region of Aberdeen. Waves crashed into the lobby around 6 AM local time on Wednesday, according to The Standard.
Video footage captured the shocking moment that seawater breached the hotel’s protective barriers. The waves smashed through the front glass doors, sweeping bystanders off their feet.
As the waves carried one person, another helped them up. The torrents continued to push through, and you could hear people shouting “Run!” in the background.
Sing Tao Daily reported that the typhoon left the hotel’s entrance in disarray. Not only did the glass break, but the floor tiles had torn up, and the ground was covered in sand and mud.
Cleaning staff have since been working to clear the debris left by the accident. In good news, hotel staff confirmed no guests or employees were injured. They emphasized prioritizing the safety of its guests and workers, and mentioned increasing staff to address the severe impact from the storm.
On the hotel’s website, it confirmed that it was still operating its hotel shuttle. It’s still working between Ocean Park Station Exit B and its hotel “while Gale or Storm Signal No.8 is hoisted.”
Weather experts now predict that Vietnam and Laos should expect the effects of Ragasa by Thursday. Since its landfall in Hong Kong, the level 8 typhoon diminished to a level 3.