As Typhoon Vicente brought the city's public transport to a standstill, many residents were forced to sleep in train stations overnight, while others had to brave the fierce winds and rain just to reach home.
Hundreds of commuters were stranded inside train cars and MTR stations after service was suspended due to broken cables and fallen trees. Some slept on the floor on cardboard mats provided by MTR staff. Passengers blamed the cause of the chaos on the lack of information and shuttle buses.
A hotel worker in Hung Hom named Mrs Ho told RTHK yesterday that she had to walk home due to the MTR service suspension, as winds reached speeds of 155km/h or more under typhoon signal No 10.
Ho, who lives in Pok Hong Estate in Sha Tin, finished work at midnight and got on a train bound for Sheung Shui. As she got off in Tai Wai station at about 1am to transfer to the Ma On Shan line, she was told the service had been stopped.
She and a colleague decided to walk, and Ho said she arrived home at around 2am. 'We got all wet from head to toe. We used plastic bags to cover ourselves but they are useless,' she said.
Ho said the ordeal left a psychological impact. 'I could not imagine the wind was that scary. I couldn't sleep the whole night.'
It was also a rough journey for Jessica Lo, who was set to go on holiday in Seoul but was stranded on the way to the airport. The 25-year-old went home to Fanling from work on Monday night to prepare for her trip, but was stuck in Sha Tin station.