At least 14 people have been killed in an area of Taiwan popular with tourists after Super Typhoon Ragasa lashed the island nation, with Hong Kong and mainland China braced for impact.

The powerful storm - the strongest in years - has forced thousands to flee their homes, with flights cancelled and schools and businesses shuttered.

At least four more people were reported to have been killed in the Philippines, where nearly 700,000 people were affected by the super typhoon in the main northern region of Luzon.

The deaths in Taiwan were reported in the eastern Taiwanese county of Hualien, with 124 people also missing after a town, Guangfu, was flooded by a deluge from a barrier lake which burst its banks.

Image: A man stands near a military vehicle on a road filled with mud brought

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