MANILA, Philippines — At least two Filipinos were injured while 41 others had to be rescued in the onslaught of Typhoon Mangkhut in Hong Kong, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday.
A Filipina tourist had to undergo leg surgery after being hit by flying debris. Another Filipina was also hurt by falling debris but needed no hospital treatment, according to the report of Consul General Antonia Morales to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano.
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The consul general also reported that a 36-member Filipino tour group had to be assisted after being stranded when the windshield of their bus was shattered by strong winds.
The bus was supposed to bring them to the airport. A bus was sent to rescue the group to bring them back to their hotel.
Hong Kong authorities also had to rescue five Filipino workers of a dive resort.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration also received calls from Filipino household workers who sustained minor injuries but did not need hospital treatment, according to Morales.
Assistance available through Consulate hotline
"Consul General Morales also said his officers and staff are all safe and that their consular operations have resumed today," the DFA said.
The Consulate General will continue to monitor the 227,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong in the aftermath of the typhoon that also devastated the Philippines.
"He said Filipinos in Hong Kong who may require assistance can call 999 or the Consulate Hotline at +852.9155.4023," the DFA said.
The storm shattered glass windows on commercial skyscrapers in Hong Kong, sending sheets of paper pouring out of the buildings, fluttering and spiraling as they headed for the debris-strewn ground, according to videos on social media.
Mangkhut also felled trees, tore scaffolding off buildings under construction and flooded some areas of Hong Kong with waist-high waters, according to the South China Morning Post.
Casinos on Macau were ordered closed for the first time due to the typhoon. A red alert, the most severe warning, was issued for densely populated southern China, which the national meteorological center said would face a "severe test caused by wind and rain."
Flights over the weekend and into Monday were canceled in Hong Kong and the mainland cities of Shenzhen, Haikou, Sanya, Guangzhou and Zhuhai. All high-speed and some normal rail services in Guangdong and Hainan provinces were also halted, the China Railway Guangzhou Group Co. said. — Patricia Lourdes Viray with Associated Press