Super typhoon Ragasa smashes into Hong Kong, as death toll climbs to 24

Manila: Super Typhoon Ragasa, the strongest storm of 2025, has left a trail of destruction across East Asia, killing at least 24 people, crippling transport networks.

About 120 people are missing.

Ragasa brought winds exceeding 260 km/h, struck the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and southern China.

Hong Kong faced severe flooding and a 3-meter storm surge. No fatalities were reported in Hong Kong.

Southern China evacuated nearly two million people ahead of landfall near Yangjiang, and the typhoon has weakened over inland areas but continues to threaten Vietnam with torrential rains. Total damages reached $1.5 billion.

From the Philippines to Taiwan, Then Hong Kong

Super Typhoon Ragasa first tore into the northern Philippines and southern Taiwan on Tuesday, September 23, unleashing torrential rains and destructive winds.

By Wednesday morning, the storm barrelled toward Hong Kong, passing about 100 km (62 miles) south of the city.

The Hong Kong Observatory raised its maximum warning signal, No. 10 (T10), as the typhoon’s winds and storm surges lashed coastal areas, the BBC and SCMP reported.

Luxury hotel flooded by raging waves

Among the most dramatic scenes unfolded at the Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel in Aberdeen, a waterfront district in Hong Kong.

Around 6:00 a.m. local time, towering waves smashed through the hotel’s glass doors, sending torrents of seawater into the marble-floored lobby.

In shocking video footage posted on Facebook, guests and staff are seen scrambling to safety as water gushes in, submerging the ground floor within seconds.

One person was swept away before regaining footing, while others clung to furniture as screams echoed in the background.

By mid-morning, staff were seen clearing water from the flooded lobby.

Fortunately, no one was injured, according to The Standard. The hotel later assured guests that shuttle services between Ocean Park Station and the property would continue, even under the city’s No. 8 Storm Signal.

Rising death toll in Taiwan

While Hong Kong braced for impact, Taiwan bore the heaviest casualties. The Matai’an Creek barrier lake burst during the storm, triggering flash floods that swept through villages.

As of Wednesday, at least 17 people were confirmed dead, nearly 90 others injured, and dozens remained missing, Taiwanese authorities told the BBC.

Premier Cho Jung-tai declared that disaster relief was now the “top priority.” Writing on Facebook, he said: “President yesterday instructed the national army to make full effort to rescue. The central government has set up a forward coordination office to move in. We will dispatch engineering, medical staff, supplies, social workers, and other personnel to get through difficulties with the villagers.”

Southern China on alert

Mainland China was also thrown into alert mode.

In Macao, floodwaters swamped roads and neighbourhoods as authorities hoisted their own No. 10 cyclone signal at dawn.

The Macao Meteorological Bureau reported gale-force winds and heavy rains, urging residents to remain indoors.

In neighbouring Guangdong province, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said more than 770,000 people had already been evacuated, with plans to relocate up to one million residents as the storm progressed inland, Reuters reported.

Flights grounded, schools closed

Across Hong Kong and southern China, schools, government offices, and businesses were shuttered. Airlines canceled hundreds of flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

The Hong Kong Airport Authority suspended nearly all operations, with winds clocking in at levels strong enough to sway grounded aircraft.

One of 2025’s Strongest Storms

Meteorologists warn that Ragasa may go down as one of the most powerful storms on Earth in 2025.

Its vast size, extreme winds, and widespread flooding are already drawing comparisons to previous record-breaking typhoons that devastated the region in past decades.

For now, the storm has exposed the fragility of Asia’s coastal cities in the face of intensifying climate events.

From Taiwan’s flooded villages to Hong Kong’s battered luxury hotels, Ragasa has reminded millions that no amount of wealth or infrastructure can fully shield communities from the fury of nature.