Dozens killed as heavy rains and floods wreck Beijing's infrastructure
More than 80,000 people were relocated in Beijing, the city government said in a statement.
Beijing saw more than 16 centimetres of rain by Monday night and was forecast to get 30cm of rainfall on Tuesday.
In Miyun district, 28 people died and 17,000 people had to be relocated. Two people died in Yanqing district.
Another four people were killed in a landslide on Monday in neighbouring Hebei province. Eight others were missing, as six months' worth of rain fell over the weekend.
Another 10,000 people were evacuated from the nearby Jizhou district under the city of Tianjin, Xinhua reported.
A high-level emergency response was launched by Beijing authorities on Monday night, ordering people to stay inside, closing schools, suspending construction work and stopping outdoor tourism and other activities.
The central government said in a statement that it had sent 50 million yuan ($10 million) to Hebei and dispatched a high-level team of emergency responders to help the affected cities, which include Chengde, Baoding and Zhangjiakou.
China's Premier Li Qiang said the heavy rain and flooding in Miyun caused "serious casualties" and called for rescue efforts, according to China's Xinhua News Agency.
Heavy rain is expected to persist in parts of Beijing, Hebei and Tianjin on Tuesday, the emergency management ministry said on Monday night, adding that "the disaster relief situation is complex and severe".
The storm knocked out power in more than 130 villages in Beijing, destroyed communication lines and damaged more than 30 sections of road.
Heavy flooding washed away cars and downed power poles in Miyun, which borders Hebei's Luanping county.
Two towns in Miyun recorded 54cm of precipitation, which forced authorities to release water from a reservoir that was at its highest level since it was built in 1959.
Trees were uprooted, streets were flooded and buildings were left with mud on the walls in the town of Taishitun, about 100km north-east of central Beijing.
A resident told state media Beijing News that he could not reach his relatives because communication lines were down.
"The flood came rushing in, just like that, so fast and suddenly. In no time at all, the place was filling up," said Zhuang Zhelin, who was clearing mud with his family from their building materials shop.
Next door, Zhuang's neighbour Wei Zhengming, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, was shovelling mud in his clinic: his feet in slippers were covered in mud.
"It was all water, front and back. I didn't want to do anything. I just ran upstairs and waited for rescue. I remember thinking, if no one came to get us, we'd be in real trouble," Mr Wei said.
Heavy rain started last Wednesday and intensified around Beijing and surrounding provinces on Monday.
"The cumulative amount of precipitation has been extremely high — reaching 80–90 per cent of the annual total in just a few days in some areas," said Xuebin Zhang of the University of Victoria in Canada and chief executive of the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC).
"Very few systems are designed to handle such an intense volume of rainfall over such a short period," Professor Zhang said.
The local topography — mountains to the west and north — "trapped" the moist air and forced it to rise, enhancing the extraordinary amount of precipitation, he said.
The 2023 floods in Beijing killed at least 33 people.
AP/Reuters
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ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Dozens killed as heavy rains and floods wreck Beijing's infrastructure
At least 30 people have been killed in Beijing this week in floods sweeping the Chinese capital. More than 80,000 people were relocated in Beijing, the city government said in a statement. Beijing saw more than 16 centimetres of rain by Monday night and was forecast to get 30cm of rainfall on Tuesday. In Miyun district, 28 people died and 17,000 people had to be relocated. Two people died in Yanqing district. Another four people were killed in a landslide on Monday in neighbouring Hebei province. Eight others were missing, as six months' worth of rain fell over the weekend. Another 10,000 people were evacuated from the nearby Jizhou district under the city of Tianjin, Xinhua reported. A high-level emergency response was launched by Beijing authorities on Monday night, ordering people to stay inside, closing schools, suspending construction work and stopping outdoor tourism and other activities. The central government said in a statement that it had sent 50 million yuan ($10 million) to Hebei and dispatched a high-level team of emergency responders to help the affected cities, which include Chengde, Baoding and Zhangjiakou. China's Premier Li Qiang said the heavy rain and flooding in Miyun caused "serious casualties" and called for rescue efforts, according to China's Xinhua News Agency. Heavy rain is expected to persist in parts of Beijing, Hebei and Tianjin on Tuesday, the emergency management ministry said on Monday night, adding that "the disaster relief situation is complex and severe". The storm knocked out power in more than 130 villages in Beijing, destroyed communication lines and damaged more than 30 sections of road. Heavy flooding washed away cars and downed power poles in Miyun, which borders Hebei's Luanping county. Two towns in Miyun recorded 54cm of precipitation, which forced authorities to release water from a reservoir that was at its highest level since it was built in 1959. Trees were uprooted, streets were flooded and buildings were left with mud on the walls in the town of Taishitun, about 100km north-east of central Beijing. A resident told state media Beijing News that he could not reach his relatives because communication lines were down. "The flood came rushing in, just like that, so fast and suddenly. In no time at all, the place was filling up," said Zhuang Zhelin, who was clearing mud with his family from their building materials shop. Next door, Zhuang's neighbour Wei Zhengming, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, was shovelling mud in his clinic: his feet in slippers were covered in mud. "It was all water, front and back. I didn't want to do anything. I just ran upstairs and waited for rescue. I remember thinking, if no one came to get us, we'd be in real trouble," Mr Wei said. Heavy rain started last Wednesday and intensified around Beijing and surrounding provinces on Monday. "The cumulative amount of precipitation has been extremely high — reaching 80–90 per cent of the annual total in just a few days in some areas," said Xuebin Zhang of the University of Victoria in Canada and chief executive of the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC). "Very few systems are designed to handle such an intense volume of rainfall over such a short period," Professor Zhang said. The local topography — mountains to the west and north — "trapped" the moist air and forced it to rise, enhancing the extraordinary amount of precipitation, he said. The 2023 floods in Beijing killed at least 33 people. AP/Reuters
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
At least 30 dead as rain turns Beijing into rain trap
Extreme weather has hilled at least 30 people in Beijing after a year's worth of rain fell in a matter of days, stretching the Chinese capital's disaster management capabilities and prompting some experts to call the city a rain trap. Much of the rain inundated Beijing's mountainous north near the Great Wall, with 28 deaths reported in the district of Miyun and two in Yanqing, the official Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday. It did not say when or how the deaths occurred. Heavy rain started last Wednesday and intensified around Beijing and surrounding provinces on Monday, with the capital experiencing up to 543 millimetres of rain in its northern districts, Xinhua said. The average annual rainfall in Beijing is about 600mm. "The cumulative amount of precipitation has been extremely high - reaching 80-90 per cent of the annual total in just a few days in some areas," said Xuebin Zhang of the University of Victoria in Canada and CEO of the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium. "Very few systems are designed to handle such an intense volume of rainfall over such a short period." The local topography - mountains to the west and north - "trapped" the moist air and forced it to rise, enhancing the extraordinary amount of precipitation, he said. China's usually arid north has seen record precipitation in recent years, with some scientists linking the rainfall to global warming. In the summer of 2023, heavy rain and flooding killed at least 33 people in Beijing. Rainfall in the city of Xingtai in neighbouring Hebei province exceeded 1000mm in two days - double the yearly average. Late on Monday, President Xi Jinping said there had been "heavy casualties and property losses" in Beijing and the provinces of Hebei, Jilin and Shandong, and ordered "all-out" search and rescue efforts. More than 80,000 Beijing residents had been relocated, Xinhua reported, with roads and communication infrastructure damaged and power to 136 villages cut off overnight. The most intense rain occurred on Saturday in Beijing's hilly Huairou, which had 95mm of rain in an hour. In Miyun on Monday, some people were trapped at an elderly care centre as water levels rose close to the roof. Emergency rescue services swam into the building and used ropes to pull out 48 people. On Tuesday, parks, libraries and museums including the Palace Museum at the Forbidden City were closed. Train and bus services were suspended and hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed at Beijing's two airports. Heavy rain also pounded the province of Hebei and the city of Tianjin neighbouring Beijing, which are all part of the vast Hai river basin. Four people were killed in a landslide in Hebei on Monday, with eight still missing, as six months' worth of rain fell at the weekend. Heavy rain is expected to persist in parts of Beijing, Hebei and Tianjin on Tuesday, the emergency management ministry said, adding "the disaster relief situation is complex and severe". Extreme weather has hilled at least 30 people in Beijing after a year's worth of rain fell in a matter of days, stretching the Chinese capital's disaster management capabilities and prompting some experts to call the city a rain trap. Much of the rain inundated Beijing's mountainous north near the Great Wall, with 28 deaths reported in the district of Miyun and two in Yanqing, the official Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday. It did not say when or how the deaths occurred. Heavy rain started last Wednesday and intensified around Beijing and surrounding provinces on Monday, with the capital experiencing up to 543 millimetres of rain in its northern districts, Xinhua said. The average annual rainfall in Beijing is about 600mm. "The cumulative amount of precipitation has been extremely high - reaching 80-90 per cent of the annual total in just a few days in some areas," said Xuebin Zhang of the University of Victoria in Canada and CEO of the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium. "Very few systems are designed to handle such an intense volume of rainfall over such a short period." The local topography - mountains to the west and north - "trapped" the moist air and forced it to rise, enhancing the extraordinary amount of precipitation, he said. China's usually arid north has seen record precipitation in recent years, with some scientists linking the rainfall to global warming. In the summer of 2023, heavy rain and flooding killed at least 33 people in Beijing. Rainfall in the city of Xingtai in neighbouring Hebei province exceeded 1000mm in two days - double the yearly average. Late on Monday, President Xi Jinping said there had been "heavy casualties and property losses" in Beijing and the provinces of Hebei, Jilin and Shandong, and ordered "all-out" search and rescue efforts. More than 80,000 Beijing residents had been relocated, Xinhua reported, with roads and communication infrastructure damaged and power to 136 villages cut off overnight. The most intense rain occurred on Saturday in Beijing's hilly Huairou, which had 95mm of rain in an hour. In Miyun on Monday, some people were trapped at an elderly care centre as water levels rose close to the roof. Emergency rescue services swam into the building and used ropes to pull out 48 people. On Tuesday, parks, libraries and museums including the Palace Museum at the Forbidden City were closed. Train and bus services were suspended and hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed at Beijing's two airports. Heavy rain also pounded the province of Hebei and the city of Tianjin neighbouring Beijing, which are all part of the vast Hai river basin. Four people were killed in a landslide in Hebei on Monday, with eight still missing, as six months' worth of rain fell at the weekend. Heavy rain is expected to persist in parts of Beijing, Hebei and Tianjin on Tuesday, the emergency management ministry said, adding "the disaster relief situation is complex and severe". Extreme weather has hilled at least 30 people in Beijing after a year's worth of rain fell in a matter of days, stretching the Chinese capital's disaster management capabilities and prompting some experts to call the city a rain trap. Much of the rain inundated Beijing's mountainous north near the Great Wall, with 28 deaths reported in the district of Miyun and two in Yanqing, the official Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday. It did not say when or how the deaths occurred. Heavy rain started last Wednesday and intensified around Beijing and surrounding provinces on Monday, with the capital experiencing up to 543 millimetres of rain in its northern districts, Xinhua said. The average annual rainfall in Beijing is about 600mm. "The cumulative amount of precipitation has been extremely high - reaching 80-90 per cent of the annual total in just a few days in some areas," said Xuebin Zhang of the University of Victoria in Canada and CEO of the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium. "Very few systems are designed to handle such an intense volume of rainfall over such a short period." The local topography - mountains to the west and north - "trapped" the moist air and forced it to rise, enhancing the extraordinary amount of precipitation, he said. China's usually arid north has seen record precipitation in recent years, with some scientists linking the rainfall to global warming. In the summer of 2023, heavy rain and flooding killed at least 33 people in Beijing. Rainfall in the city of Xingtai in neighbouring Hebei province exceeded 1000mm in two days - double the yearly average. Late on Monday, President Xi Jinping said there had been "heavy casualties and property losses" in Beijing and the provinces of Hebei, Jilin and Shandong, and ordered "all-out" search and rescue efforts. More than 80,000 Beijing residents had been relocated, Xinhua reported, with roads and communication infrastructure damaged and power to 136 villages cut off overnight. The most intense rain occurred on Saturday in Beijing's hilly Huairou, which had 95mm of rain in an hour. In Miyun on Monday, some people were trapped at an elderly care centre as water levels rose close to the roof. Emergency rescue services swam into the building and used ropes to pull out 48 people. On Tuesday, parks, libraries and museums including the Palace Museum at the Forbidden City were closed. Train and bus services were suspended and hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed at Beijing's two airports. Heavy rain also pounded the province of Hebei and the city of Tianjin neighbouring Beijing, which are all part of the vast Hai river basin. Four people were killed in a landslide in Hebei on Monday, with eight still missing, as six months' worth of rain fell at the weekend. Heavy rain is expected to persist in parts of Beijing, Hebei and Tianjin on Tuesday, the emergency management ministry said, adding "the disaster relief situation is complex and severe". Extreme weather has hilled at least 30 people in Beijing after a year's worth of rain fell in a matter of days, stretching the Chinese capital's disaster management capabilities and prompting some experts to call the city a rain trap. Much of the rain inundated Beijing's mountainous north near the Great Wall, with 28 deaths reported in the district of Miyun and two in Yanqing, the official Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday. It did not say when or how the deaths occurred. Heavy rain started last Wednesday and intensified around Beijing and surrounding provinces on Monday, with the capital experiencing up to 543 millimetres of rain in its northern districts, Xinhua said. The average annual rainfall in Beijing is about 600mm. "The cumulative amount of precipitation has been extremely high - reaching 80-90 per cent of the annual total in just a few days in some areas," said Xuebin Zhang of the University of Victoria in Canada and CEO of the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium. "Very few systems are designed to handle such an intense volume of rainfall over such a short period." The local topography - mountains to the west and north - "trapped" the moist air and forced it to rise, enhancing the extraordinary amount of precipitation, he said. China's usually arid north has seen record precipitation in recent years, with some scientists linking the rainfall to global warming. In the summer of 2023, heavy rain and flooding killed at least 33 people in Beijing. Rainfall in the city of Xingtai in neighbouring Hebei province exceeded 1000mm in two days - double the yearly average. Late on Monday, President Xi Jinping said there had been "heavy casualties and property losses" in Beijing and the provinces of Hebei, Jilin and Shandong, and ordered "all-out" search and rescue efforts. More than 80,000 Beijing residents had been relocated, Xinhua reported, with roads and communication infrastructure damaged and power to 136 villages cut off overnight. The most intense rain occurred on Saturday in Beijing's hilly Huairou, which had 95mm of rain in an hour. In Miyun on Monday, some people were trapped at an elderly care centre as water levels rose close to the roof. Emergency rescue services swam into the building and used ropes to pull out 48 people. On Tuesday, parks, libraries and museums including the Palace Museum at the Forbidden City were closed. Train and bus services were suspended and hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed at Beijing's two airports. Heavy rain also pounded the province of Hebei and the city of Tianjin neighbouring Beijing, which are all part of the vast Hai river basin. Four people were killed in a landslide in Hebei on Monday, with eight still missing, as six months' worth of rain fell at the weekend. Heavy rain is expected to persist in parts of Beijing, Hebei and Tianjin on Tuesday, the emergency management ministry said, adding "the disaster relief situation is complex and severe".
The Australian
a day ago
- The Australian
Thirty dead as northern China hit by heavy rain, landslides
Heavy rain in Beijing killed 30 people and forced authorities to evacuate tens of thousands as swathes of northern China were lashed by torrential downpours that sparked deadly landslides, state media said Tuesday. Weather authorities have issued their second-highest rainstorm warning for the capital, neighbouring Hebei and Tianjin, as well as ten other provinces in northern, eastern and southern China, state news agency Xinhua said. The rains are expected to last into Wednesday, it added. As of midnight Monday, "the latest round of heavy rainstorms has left 30 people dead in Beijing", Xinhua said, citing the city's municipal flood control headquarters. Over 80,000 people have been evacuated in the Chinese capital alone, local state-run outlet Beijing Daily said on social media. "Continuous extreme heavy rainfall caused major disasters," it said. The death toll was highest in Miyun, a suburban district northeast of the city centre, it said. Also badly affected were Huairou district in the north of the city and Fangshan in the southwest, state media said. Dozens of roads have been closed and over 130 villages have lost electricity, Beijing Daily said. "Please pay attention to weather forecasts and warnings and do not go to risk areas unless necessary," the outlet said. In Miyun, a resident surnamed Liu said he watched floodwater sweep away vehicles outside his apartment block early Monday morning. AFP journalists there saw a crawler lift people and a dog to safety as rescuers waded through water up to their knees. Nearby, in the town of Mujiayu, AFP journalists saw a reservoir release a torrent of water. Power lines were swept away by muddy currents while military vehicles and ambulances ploughed flooded streets. Firefighters also rescued 48 people trapped in an elderly care centre, CCTV reported. - 'All-out efforts' - Chinese President Xi Jinping urged authorities late Monday to plan for worst-case scenarios and rush the relocation of residents of flood-threatened areas. Beijing Daily said local officials had "made all-out efforts to search and rescue missing persons... and made every effort to reduce casualties". The government has allocated 350 million yuan (USD$49 million) for disaster relief in nine regions hit by heavy rains, state broadcaster CCTV said Tuesday. They include northern Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, northeastern Jilin, eastern Shandong and southern Guangdong. A separate 200 million yuan has been set aside for the capital, the broadcaster said. In Hebei province, which encircles the capital, a landslide in a village near the city of Chengde killed four people, with eight still missing, CCTV reported Monday. Local authorities have issued flash flood warnings through Tuesday evening, with Chengde and surrounding areas under the highest alert, Hebei's radio and television station said. In 2023, heavy rain killed over 80 people across northern and northeastern China, including at least 29 people in Hebei where severe flooding destroyed homes and crop fields. Some reports at the time suggested the province shouldered the burden of a government decision to divert the deluge away from the capital. - Climate change factor - Natural disasters are common across China, particularly in the summer when some regions experience heavy rain while others bake in searing heat. China is the world's biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases that scientists say drive climate change and contribute to making extreme weather more frequent and intense. But it is also a global renewable energy powerhouse that aims to make its massive economy carbon-neutral by 2060. Flash floods in the eastern Shandong province killed two people and left 10 missing this month. A landslide on a highway in Sichuan province this month also killed five people after it swept several cars down a mountainside. bur-oho/tym
