Heavy rains, flooding kill at least 30 in Beijing as downpour continues
The deaths occurred in Beijing's mountainous northern districts, with 28 killed in Miyun and two in Yanqing, the official Xinhua state news agency reported on Tuesday.
'The latest round of heavy rainstorms has left 30 people dead in Beijing as of midnight Monday,' Xinhua said, citing the city's municipal flood control headquarters.
Torrential rain started over the weekend and intensified around the Chinese capital and surrounding provinces on Monday, with Beijing recording rainfall of up to 543mm (21.3 inches) in its northern districts, Xinhua said.
Authorities in Beijing have relocated more than 80,000 residents from areas worst hit by flooding, which has damaged dozens of roads and cut power to at least 136 villages, the country's national broadcaster CCTV reported.
The heaviest rain in Beijing is expected early on Tuesday, with rainfall of up to 300mm (11.8 inches) forecast for some areas.
Authorities ordered the release of water from a reservoir in Beijing's rural Miyun district, which was at its highest level since it was built in 1959, according to reports, with locals being warned to stay away from rivers downstream as their levels rose and as more heavy rain is forecast.
Chinese President Xi Jinping late on Monday night ordered 'all-out' search and rescue efforts to minimise casualties, as authorities ordered people to stay indoors, closed schools, suspended construction work and stopped outdoor tourism and other activities until the emergency warning is lifted.
In the town of Taishitun, about 100km (60 miles) northeast of central Beijing, streets were covered in mud and water on Monday, and uprooted trees lay in piles with their bare roots exposed, the Associated Press news agency reports.
'The flood came rushing in, just like that, so fast and suddenly. In no time at all, the place was filling up,' said local resident Zhuang Zhelin, who was clearing mud with his family from their building materials shop.
Earlier reports on Monday said the torrential rains and flooding had killed four people, with eight others missing, following a landslide in the country's Hebei province, located south of Beijing.
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