At least 15 people were killed in Taiwan when a dam collapsed after Typhoon Rajasa, a powerful storm that battered southern China on Wednesday, brought heavy rains and strong winds, where Hong Kong remains on alert.
On Wednesday afternoon, Chinese state media reported that the typhoon had made landfall in the south of the country.
The typhoon had moved away from Hong Kong toward the western coast of China's Guangdong province, according to the Hong Kong Meteorological Department, which lowered the alert level from its highest.
The heavy rains brought by Typhoon Rajasa to Taiwan caused a lake to overflow, causing a bridge to collapse and flooding homes in Hualien (eastern Taiwan), according to a video obtained by AFP.
At least 15 people were killed and 18 others injured, authorities said.
"In some places, the water level reached the second floor of a house and rose to the first floor in the city center, where the water began to recede," Li Long-sheng, deputy chief of the county's fire department, told AFP on Tuesday.
After initially reporting 152 missing people, the Taiwanese fire department lowered its estimate to 17, saying it had been able to contact more than 100 missing people.
In the Philippines, the devastating typhoon killed eight people in the north during its passage last week.
Heavy rains continued in Hong Kong, which was battered by Typhoon Rajasa on Wednesday night and early morning, with 62 injured people receiving treatment in public hospitals.
The devastating typhoon generated a "superstorm" in Hong Kong, where sea levels rose more than three meters in some areas, according to the local meteorological department.
A video circulating on social media and verified by AFP shows the glass doors of a hotel on the southern coast of the territory shattered by waves and water flooding the reception hall.
A hotel spokesperson reported no injuries.
An AFP journalist also saw waves nearly five meters high crashing onto a promenade on the coast.
Hong Kong closed schools on Tuesday and suspended flights until Thursday morning. Land transport was also suspended until further notice.
Authorities warned residents of flood risks in low-lying areas and opened 50 shelters to accommodate 810 people.
Winds reached at least 206 kilometers per hour in Ngong Ping, on the highlands of Lantau Island (west).
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange changed its rules this year to keep markets open during typhoons, and the operator told Bloomberg that it was "closely monitoring the situation."
As the typhoon approached, residents in southern China rushed to stockpile food, leaving shelves empty in stores.
Terence Choi, a resident of Hong Kong's Hing Fa Shuen neighborhood, said he had stocked up on supplies for two days, noting that his community was deprived of clean water and electricity during a previous devastating typhoon.
"If we're deprived of water and electricity, it will be difficult for us to cook, so I'm very worried about that," said the 59-year-old engineer.
Scientists say climate change is causing extreme weather events to become more frequent and intense around the world.
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