At least 60 dead in north China following extreme rain, authorities say
In Beijing, 44 people were killed and nine were missing as of midday on Thursday (July 31, 2025), Deputy Mayor of Beijing, Xia Linmao, said at a press conference.
Heavy rains began a week ago and peaked around Beijing and surrounding provinces on Monday, with Miyun experiencing rainfall of up to 573.5 mm (22.6 inches) — levels local media described as "extremely destructive." The average annual rainfall in Beijing is around 600 mm.
In the nearby province of Hebei, 16 people died as a result of the intense rainfall, authorities said.
At least eight were killed in the city of Chengde just outside Beijing, with 18 unaccounted for.
The deaths occurred in villages within the Xinglong area of Chengde in Hebei province, state-run Xinhua reported late on Wednesday citing local authorities, without specifying when or how the people died.
The deaths in Chengde occurred in villages which border Beijing's Miyun about 25 km (16 miles) from the Miyun reservoir, the largest in China's north.
The reservoir saw record-breaking overall water levels and capacity during the rains which devastated nearby towns.
At its peak on Sunday, up to 6,550 cubic metres of water — about 2.5 Olympic-sized pools' worth — flooded into the reservoir every second.
In another Hebei village north of the reservoir, a landslide on Monday killed eight people, with four missing.
Extreme rainfall and severe flooding, which meteorologists link to climate change, pose major challenges for Chinese policymakers, with officials partially attributing a slowdown in factory activity to such events.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
20 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Vanished in 1997, missing man's body found on melting glacier in Pakistan
The body of a man who went missing in 1997 has been discovered on a melting glacier in the Kohistan mountains of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB), exposed nearly three decades later due to climate change-induced ice melt, ARY News reported on Tuesday. The remains were found in the Lady Meadows area of Palas, Kohistan.(X - @Rxamad777) The remains were found in the Lady Meadows area of Palas, Kohistan, and identified as those of Naseer Uddin, who disappeared during a snowstorm while travelling through the remote Supat Valley, as per ARY News. Remarkably well-preserved despite the passage of 28 years, the body was identified through a national identity card found in his pocket. Local resident Umar Khan and his friends came across the remains while trekking through the glacier-covered region. According to Umar Khan, Naseer Uddin and his family had left their hometown in Palas due to a longstanding family feud and were journeying through the area when the tragedy occurred, as per ARY News. Kohistan District Police Officer Amjad Hussain confirmed the discovery, stating that Naseer Uddin likely lost his life after falling into a crevasse during the snowstorm. Umar Khan said he temporarily buried the body to prevent decomposition and later traced and informed the deceased's family. Earlier, German Olympic and World Champion biathlete Laura Dahlmeier was confirmed dead on Wednesday after sustaining serious injuries in a climbing accident in Pakistan, the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) reported, as per ARY News. Faizullah Faraq, spokesperson for the PoGB government, confirmed that Dahlmeier lost her life due to a landslide in the Baltistan region. He stated that a rescue team retrieved her body, and once they descend to the base camp, a government helicopter will be dispatched to transport it. Earlier, two German female climbers were caught in a landslide in the Shigar district of Baltistan. One of the climbers was successfully rescued, while Laura Dahlmeier tragically did not survive.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Schools shut, residents warned as Beijing faces another round of heavy rain
Beijing is getting drenched by another round of heavy rain, one week after torrential downpours across parts of the Chinese capital unleashed flooding that claimed at least 44 lives. A woman walks past a flood damaged area from heavy rains over the last few days in Huairou district, on the outskirts of Beijing on July 30, 2025. (AFP) The city's meteorological service elevated its rainstorm warning signal to red at 1 p.m. local time on Monday, the highest alert in a tri-colored system, up from orange earlier in the day. Some places could get more than 200 millimeters (7.9 inches) over six hours, raising the risk of landslides, the forecaster said. The heaviest precipitation is expected to start at 6 p.m. and extend through dawn on Tuesday morning, according to the China Meteorological Administration. A collision of low pressure up in the atmosphere with another region of high pressure is triggering the heavy rain, the national weather agency said. The deluge threatens another round of flash flooding, particularly in the hard-hit mountainous suburban areas due to saturated ground. Across the Beijing area, the soil is over-saturated up to a depth of 50 millimeters following rain last week, according to government data. Authorities urged residents not to venture outside unless necessary, and schools suspended in-person classes, according to a city government statement. Other areas of China's north, including Hebei and Tianjin, are predicted to see heavy rainfall through Tuesday afternoon. The southern Chinese coast, affected by the southwest monsoon, is also getting a drenching.
Mint
a day ago
- Mint
Beijing Faces More Torrential Rainfall After Deadly Floods
(Bloomberg) -- Beijing is getting drenched by another round of heavy rain, one week after torrential downpours across parts of the Chinese capital unleashed flooding that claimed at least 44 lives. The city's meteorological service elevated its rainstorm warning signal to red at 1 p.m. local time on Monday, the highest alert in a tri-colored system, up from orange earlier in the day. Some places could get more than 200 millimeters (7.9 inches) over six hours, raising the risk of landslides, the forecaster said. The heaviest precipitation is expected to start at 6 p.m. and extend through dawn on Tuesday morning, according to the China Meteorological Administration. A collision of low pressure up in the atmosphere with another region of high pressure is triggering the heavy rain, the national weather agency said. The deluge threatens another round of flash flooding, particularly in the hard-hit mountainous suburban areas due to saturated ground. Across the Beijing area, the soil is over-saturated up to a depth of 50 millimeters following rain last week, according to government data. Authorities urged residents not to venture outside unless necessary, and schools suspended in-person classes, according to a city government statement. Other areas of China's north, including Hebei and Tianjin, are predicted to see heavy rainfall through Tuesday afternoon. The southern Chinese coast, affected by the southwest monsoon, is also getting a drenching. In Hong Kong, a black rainstorm signal was raised at 11:45 p.m. local time, meaning heavy rain exceeding 70 millimeters in an hour is expected to fall, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. Residents were advised to take shelter and avoid traveling as some roads were flooded. People were also told to stay away from waterways and residents living near rivers were advised to prepare to evacuate if waters rise. --With assistance from Brian K. Sullivan and Jacob Gu. More stories like this are available on
