People Rescued, Cars Trapped In Floods Across SAR

The heaviest night of rainfall in three years saw flooding across the New Territories and parts of Kowloon on Saturday morning, with firefighters and police having to rescue several people trapped in homes and vehicles.

A heavy storm swept across Hong Kong in the early hours of Saturday, with the Observatory issuing the black rainstorm warning shortly before 3am, leaving it in place for more than two hours. The warning was last issued three years ago.

The first reports of heavy flooding came in from Tsuen Wan overnight, and by the time dawn broke. Some areas, including Tsing Yi, Kwai Chung and Sha Tin, accumulated more than 200 millimetres of rainfall.

On Hiram's Highway in Sai Kung, an ambulance broke down and several houses were affected by flooding.

In Tin Shui Wai, several village houses were flooded. Police and firefighters helped rescue two people who were trapped in one home.

There was chaos in the Kwun Tong area, where there was flooding around the MTR station. Firefighters had to help at least one taxi driver out of their vehicle. Another taxi and a minibus also broke down.

All rainfall warnings, as well as the Observatory's special warning on flooding in the New Territories, were cancelled by shortly after 8am.

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