Chinese tourists wait to check in at Saipan International Airport, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Oct. 30, 2018. The last group of 80 Chinese tourists stranded by Super Typhoon Yutu in Saipan took off on a flight Tuesday to fly back home, according to the Consulate General of China in Los Angeles. (Xinhua)
SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands, Oct. 30 (Xinhua)-- The last group of 80 Chinese tourists stranded by Super Typhoon Yutu in Saipan took off on a flight Tuesday to fly back home, according to the Consulate General of China in Los Angeles.
A charter flight of Hong Kong Express Airways Limited arrived at Saipan International Airport Tuesday morning, one of the Chinese flights to evacuate Chinese tourists after Typhoon Yutu.
Some 1,600 Chinese tourists are back home as of now, said the Consulate General of China in Los Angeles.
Yutu, which hit the island territories overnight last Wednesday, caused extensive damage to critical infrastructure on Saipan and Tinian islands, including the Saipan airport.
After the airport resumed operation for civil airplanes on Sunday morning, Chinese airlines including Sichuan Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Beijing Capital Airlines, and Hong Kong Express sent charter flights to evacuate Chinese tourists.
As one of the strongest super typhoons in history, Yutu slammed the islands of Tinian and Saipan, bringing sustained winds of 289 kph that damaged local infrastructure.
