Typhoon Hato Leaves 3 Dead in Macau, 2 Still Missing

By Jesse Pottinger, August 23, 2017

Three people are dead, and another two are missing after Typhoon Hato struck the city of Macau today, announced the Civil Defense Center, according to Macau Daily.

A 45-year old mainland Chinese tourist, the victim of a hit-and-run, is among the three fatalities. In addition, the report states that a 30-year-old man was killed by a collapsing wall and a 62-year-old man fell to his death.

This morning, four people were declared missing at Fai Chi Kei. Two have since been rescued and two are yet to be found.

Twenty injured people had been admitted to Conde S. Januário Hospital as of 3pm.

The typhoon has now passed Macau and is making its way inland, leaving the city to recuperate from severe power outages caused by heavy flooding.

Representatives from a number of luxury hotels in the heart of the city’s casino district told South China Morning Post that they would no longer admit new guests, and stopped taking reservations for Wednesday and Thursday due to the lack of backup power.

With concerns of public safety in mind, guests have been advised to remain inside their hotels and many are worried that the water supply may be the next to go.

“There’s no electricity in all of Macau … including Taipa and Coloane,” said Luisa Lei Sio Fong, a Macau resident, to South China Morning Post.

“A lot of trees were uprooted … and because of the blackout, we cannot watch television and can only rely on information from the Internet. We don’t know when the electricity will be fixed, and it seems there’s only water supply for five more hours.”

Water in Macau’s Inner Harbor, an area prone to flooding, is reportedly a meter higher than normal, and Avenida da Amizade, one of the primary avenues in the city, is also totally flooded.

A representative of the government stated that departments throughout the city were collaborating to get things under control, and a contingency plan has been put in place by the telecommunications sector to provide three hours of additional power and address the threat to the water supply.

For real time tracking of Typhoon Hato’s path, click here.

[Images via Macau Daily, South China Morning Post]