Typhoon Usagi lashes southern China, leaving at least 25 dead (VIDEO)

GlobalPost
Updated on

Typhoon Usagi pounded southern China late Sunday, leaving at least 25 people dead before falling to tropical-storm strength on Monday, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Chinese officials said the 25 were killed in Guangdong province when Usagi touched down late Sunday with winds up to 109 miles per hour, reported Al Jazeera.

The massive storm had people literally running for their lives — here's one already iconic photo:

The storm is reported to be the strongest registered in the Western Pacific so far this year.

Chinese authorities said 226,000 people had been relocated due to the storm, reported to have affected over three and a half million people in the provinces, according to China's Xinhua.

The typhoon was barreling straight toward Hong Kong before it shifted course and pounded south China, cutting off electricity to 170,000 people, demolishing homes, and wounding scores, according to reports.

Dozens of storm-related injuries were also reported in Hong Kong, where 370 Sunday flights were cancelled.

The city was mostly back in operation Monday, but the South China Morning Post said authorities were struggling to bring the travel situation back to normal at the Chek Lap Kok airport.

The weather also lead to a number of deaths on the high seas, with two people killed in Taiwan, two dead in a boat accident the Philippines, and two drowned in a boat capsize near Manila, reported WSJ. Watch their video report on the storm here:

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