Koinu leaves hundreds stuck at airport, MTR stations
Hundreds of passengers were left stranded at the airport and MTR stations late on Sunday as Typhoon Koinu disrupted flights and transport. The storm prompted Hong Kong's second No.9 typhoon signal of the year on Sunday, the first time the SAR's second highest warning has been issued twice in a year since 1999. With the Airport Express and bus services suspended, Hugo Novales, a reporter from the United States, said he had been stuck at Chek Lap Kok for more than an hour just looking for a cab. "It doesn't look like this line is moving anywhere anytime soon. It's just snaking around the whole airport and there's, like, at least probably a thousand people here, if not more," he said. "These are all just people who've just arrived. There's not really anybody that are waiting in line to get into the airport to go fly somewhere else. These are all people who just arrived from probably various countries. Everybody's just all kind of stuck in the same situation."  The Airport Authority said around 90 flights had been cancelled, adding that people should stay in the passenger terminal to ensure safety. The Airport Express began running again after midnight, with services continuing until 3am to clear the backlog. Meanwhile, dozens sought refuge in MTR stations as services were partially suspended when the No.9 signal was in force. Most lines ran at 15-minute intervals, but above-ground services were halted completely. One group that was hard-hit by the disruption was the SAR's army of domestic helpers, who normally spend their day-off downtime gathered outdoors in parks and walkways.  But on Sunday, many of the usual gathering spots were quiet as helpers struggled to find cover. Sheila and Malou said they usually go to Lido Beach on a Sunday, but instead spent the day seeking shelter in and around Kowloon Tong Station. "[We] cannot go anywhere, just here indoors. It's safe. We just stay here and talk and talk for a few hours. And then we go to the mall, and then just walk in the mall, and then just come back here and stay here. We are safe. It's more safe here because outside is so dangerous. It's okay but quite boring."  The MTR said it would provide water and snacks for stranded passengers, adding that it's working to resume full services of train services. Trains were operating at intervals of ten minutes on most lines on Monday morning. The corporation said staff were checking overhead wires on outdoor sections of track._____________________________
Last updated: 2023-10-09 HKT 05:24 