Latest news with #Landslides
Al Arabiya
17 hours ago
- Climate
- Al Arabiya
Heavy rain causes flooding, evacuations and at least 38 deaths around Beijing region
Heavy rain caused flooding and landslides that washed away cars, forced evacuations, and knocked out power around the Chinese capital, killing at least 38 people by Tuesday as rescue and relief work continued. The flood risk for parts of Beijing, Hebei province, and neighboring Tianjin city remained high until Tuesday evening. Premier Li Qiang said the heavy rain and flooding in the hard-hit Beijing district of Miyun caused serious casualties and called for rescue efforts, according to the Xinhua News Agency. The storm knocked out power in more than 130 villages in Beijing, destroyed communication lines, and damaged more than 30 sections of road. More than 16 centimeters (6 inches) of rain fell on average in Beijing by midnight, with two towns in Miyun recording 54 centimeters (21 inches) of precipitation, the city said. Heavy flooding washed away cars and downed power poles in Miyun, an outlying district that borders Hebei's Luanping county. More than 80,000 people have been relocated in Beijing, including about 17,000 in Miyun, a Beijing city statement said. The city government said 28 people died in Miyun and two others in Yanqing district Monday. Four additional people in neighboring Hebei province were discovered dead Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV reported, after eight people were said to be missing after a landslide in a rural part of Luanping county in the province. Authorities had found four of the dead Monday. Emergency rescue teams said more landslides occurred in the same region Tuesday, although they did not report any further casualties. Uprooted trees lay in piles in the town of Taishitun, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of central Beijing. Streets were covered with water, with mud left higher up on the walls of buildings.
Al Arabiya
20 hours ago
- Climate
- Al Arabiya
Thousands evacuated, businesses closed in southern Taiwan as torrential rain continues
Torrential rains lashed southern Taiwan for a second day on Tuesday, forcing some 3,000 people to evacuate and prompting the closure of businesses and schools, as authorities warned of 'intense' rainfall of up to 90 centimeters (35.4 inches) in the coming days. Flooding triggered by a depression has submerged streets and buildings in several towns and villages across southern Taiwan this week. Nine people have been injured and 88 rescued from inundated buildings and cars so far, according to official data. The Central Weather Administration forecast up to 0.9 meters of rainfall in mountainous areas of the south over the coming days and warned that 'intense' rainfall could trigger further flooding and landslides. Taiwan is still recovering from Typhoon Danas, which struck the island's densely populated west coast with record winds and caused widespread damage to its electricity grid and some houses. In the southern city of Tainan, dozens of people were evacuated from houses damaged by Danas, while Taiwan TV footage showed residents in Chiayi County wading through waterlogged roads, pushing scooters, and navigating around inundated buildings.
The Australian
20 hours ago
- Climate
- 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
Reuters
20 hours ago
- Climate
- Reuters
Thousands evacuated, businesses closed in southern Taiwan as torrential rain continues
TAIPEI, July 29 (Reuters) - Torrential rains lashed southern Taiwan for a second day on Tuesday forcing some 3,000 people to evacuate and businesses and schools to close, as authorities warned of "intense" rainfall of up to 90 centimetres (35.4 inches) in the coming days. Flooding triggered by a depression has submerged streets and buildings in several towns and villages across southern Taiwan this week. Nine people have been injured and 88 rescued from inundated buildings and cars so far, according to official data. The Central Weather Administration forecast up to 0.9 metres of rainfall in mountainous areas of the south over the coming days and warned that "intense" rainfall could trigger more flooding and landslides. Taiwan is still recovering from Typhoon Danas, which struck the island's densely-populated west coast with record winds and brought widespread damage to its electricity grid and some houses. In the southern city of Tainan, dozens of people were evacuated from houses damaged by Danas, while Taiwan TV footage showed residents in Chiayi County wading through waterlogged roads, pushing scooters, and navigating around inundated buildings.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Thousands evacuated, businesses closed in southern Taiwan as torrential rain continues
TAIPEI (Reuters) -Torrential rains lashed southern Taiwan for a second day on Tuesday forcing some 3,000 people to evacuate and businesses and schools to close, as authorities warned of "intense" rainfall of up to 90 centimetres (35.4 inches) in the coming days. Flooding triggered by a depression has submerged streets and buildings in several towns and villages across southern Taiwan this week. Nine people have been injured and 88 rescued from inundated buildings and cars so far, according to official data. The Central Weather Administration forecast up to 0.9 metres of rainfall in mountainous areas of the south over the coming days and warned that "intense" rainfall could trigger more flooding and landslides. Taiwan is still recovering from Typhoon Danas, which struck the island's densely-populated west coast with record winds and brought widespread damage to its electricity grid and some houses. In the southern city of Tainan, dozens of people were evacuated from houses damaged by Danas, while Taiwan TV footage showed residents in Chiayi County wading through waterlogged roads, pushing scooters, and navigating around inundated buildings.
