China's Guangdong speeds up post-disaster recovery as Typhoon Ragasa weakens

GUANGZHOU, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Post-disaster recovery efforts are underway across south China's Guangdong Province as Typhoon Ragasa, which made landfall on Wednesday, has weakened to a tropical depression.

The typhoon caused severe damage, including uprooted trees, damaged infrastructure, and disrupted power supply. By 6 p.m. Thursday, Guangdong had downgraded its emergency response to Level IV, the lowest.

China Southern Power Grid's Guangdong company said that over 50,000 personnel and 13,000 vehicles were deployed for emergency repairs, and nearly 90 percent of affected users had their power restored by 5 p.m.

As one of the hardest-hit areas, Hailing Island experienced rapid power restoration within hours after the typhoon made landfall. Some users remained without power due to flooding, but specialized teams used drainage robots to expedite recovery.

Fast-track insurance claims were also processed for victims. In the city of Huizhou, a vehicle damage claim was settled within 36 minutes under disaster-specific policies, according to China Pacific Property Insurance's Guangdong branch.