Latest news with #rescueefforts
BBC News
a day ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Beijing floods: 30 killed as China sees summer of extreme weather
At least 30 people have died in Beijing and more than 80,000 were evacuated to safety, Chinese authorities said, as heavy rains and floods ravage roads and houses in northern other people died after a landslide on Monday in Chengde city, about three hours northeast of is dealing with a summer of extreme weather. Record heatwaves hit the country's eastern region earlier this month while floods swept the country's the backdrop of the massive floods in northern China, President Xi Jinping has called for "all-out" rescue efforts and told authorities to prepare for "worst-case and extreme scenarios". "No effort should be spared to search for and rescue those missing or trapped, to transfer and resettle residents in affected areas, and to reduce casualties to the greatest extent possible," the president said on authorities have allocated 200 million yuan ($28m; £21m) for recovery efforts, including repairing transportation and other outskirts of Beijing, including the suburban districts of Miyun and Huairou, were hit hardest by the torrential floods have damaged dozens of roads and disrupted power to more than 130 villages. Videos show rescuers wading in chest-deep floodwaters to reach stranded residents, as well as helicopters and drones ferrying food and other aid to the disaster zone. Ms Yang, who works in Hebei province, told BBC Chinese that she was very worried about her family, who live in Miyun district - one of the areas hit hardest by the Sunday she had not been able to contact her parents and grandfather, who all suffer from health problems and have limited mobility. Her family had also been taking care of her pets: eight cats and three village is small and remote, with just around 10 households, she said, adding that she feared rescuers might miss it altogether. Out of desperation, she took to social media to appeal for rescue, hoping they would be found from flood-hit areas recalled how quickly the disaster unfolded. "The flood came rushing in, just like that, so fast and suddenly," Zhuang Zhelin, a shop-owner in Taishitun town, near Beijing, told the Associated Press. "In no time at all, the place was filling up."Zhuang's neighbour told the Associated Press that when the floods came he "just ran upstairs and waited for rescue"."I remember thinking, if no one came to get us, we'd be in real trouble," he is no stranger to flooding, particularly at this time of year. One of the deadliest in recent memory occurred in July 2012, when 190mm of rain drenched the city in a day, killing 79 summer, floods have wreaked havoc across swathes of people were killed and 10 people went missing in Shandong province earlier this month when Typhoon Wipha struck eastern China. Two weeks earlier, a landslide killed three people in Ya'an city, southwestern weather, which experts link to climate change, has increasingly threatened China's residents and economy - especially its trillion-dollar agriculture disasters in the first half of the year have cost China 54.11 billion yuan ($7.5bn; £5.7bn), its emergency management ministry said earlier this month. Flooding accounted for more than 90% of the losses, the ministry noted.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Texas local official caught mocking DHS secretary as 'Homeland Barbie' after deadly floods
City officials in Kerrville were largely unprepared for the devastating floods that struck the Hill Country on July 4, according to newly released city communications, including emails and text messages obtained by KSAT through public records requests. The documents include a text exchange involving Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice, in which he jokingly referred to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as "basically homeland Barbie." Hours before participating in a July 5 press conference alongside federal, state, and local officials to update the public on rescue efforts, Rice received a message from a city employee that read, "Just saw you met Homeland Barbie. How is she?" Rice responded, "Basically homeland Barbie," followed by a string of laughter. The nickname, as well as similar terms like "ICE Barbie," has been used online to satirize Noem since she assumed her role as DHS secretary earlier this year. Her handling of the flood crisis has drawn sharp criticism, particularly after it was revealed that changes to federal contract approval procedures delayed FEMA's deployment by approximately three days. Concerns have also emerged at the state and local levels. Texas officials have long resisted implementing a warning siren system for the Guadalupe River, where the flooding proved most fatal. Additionally, a controversial reorganization by the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) resulted in the dismissal of a key National Weather Service emergency coordination officer just months before the disaster. The tragedy has left Kerrville and surrounding communities demanding answers and reforms before the next storm strikes. In response to mounting scrutiny, Secretary Noem defended the federal government's actions. "This was the fastest in history that FEMA has ever responded to a disaster," she said in a previous interview with Fox News. "Unlike FEMA's poor track record under the Biden administration, this time FEMA operated how President Trump wanted it to operate." She added, "I'm very proud of the fact that we didn't go there and manage it. We went there and allowed the local officials to manage it, to run it. The state did a fantastic job. We're there to support and give them what resources they need." The catastrophic flooding claimed at least 137 lives across Texas, with 108 fatalities reported in Kerr County alone. Among the dead were 27 campers and staff members at Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian summer camp for girls in the town of Hunt. Authorities are now investigating whether Camp Mystic officials received and appropriately responded to flash flood warnings prior to the tragedy. The incident has sparked broader questions about how youth camps and other vulnerable institutions assess and act on rapidly evolving weather threats. Fox News Digital reached out to Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice and the Kerrville city officials, but did not receive a response. Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Yahoo
DR Congo rescuers dig with bare hands for trapped miners
People in a gold-mining area in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo have been using their bare hands and basic tools to free miners trapped underground. Six have been pulled out alive, with one seriously injured, since shafts collapsed in Lomera in the early hours of Sunday, local journalist Ashuza Barack told the BBC. There have been conflicting reports on the death toll. One resident said that 12 bodies had been found but Barack said no bodies had been recovered. The area, in South Kivu province, has been under the control of M23 rebels since they captured swathes of DR Congo's mineral-rich east earlier this year. The M23 rejected reports that hundreds were trapped underground. Lomera has witnessed a gold rush since the end of last year when the precious ore was discovered in the hills near what was then a quiet village, according to medical charity MSF. Thousands of people arrived hoping to make money as freelance, or artisanal, miners, turning the area into a "sprawling chaos of mineshafts and makeshift shelters", MSF said in a statement on a cholera outbreak in the area last month. Reports said a series of cascading landslides buried up to 15 of these makeshift shafts without warning. Rescue efforts have slowed as debris and large stones continue to block access. Journalist Barack told the BBC that the lack of proper equipment has hampered attempts to clear the site. Survivors told him that many miners remain stuck. "We've been digging since Sunday night but have not recovered any bodies. We are exhausted," one miner said. Officials from M23 visited the site and ordered mining activities to stop in parts of the area. Dozens of mining sites across this region of DR Congo supply the global electronics industry with vital metals and minerals. Many are not properly regulated and safety standards are not observed. The region has also been hit by conflict for decades as various rebel groups and the government have been fighting over control. The M23 made significant territorial gains earlier this year, capturing Goma, the main city in eastern DR Congo. It signed a ceasefire deal with the government at the weekend in talks brokered by Qatar. You may also be interested in: Inside the Congolese mine vital to mobile phones What's the fighting in DR Congo all about? Ceasefire deal still faces many challenges The evidence that shows Rwanda is backing rebels in DR Congo Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts Focus on Africa This Is Africa
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Death toll rises in Vietnam tour boat disaster, officials say
STORY: ::The death toll in a tourist boat accident climbs to dozens, Vietnamese officials say :: July 20, 2025 ::Halong Bay, Vietnam Video from Vietnam Television (VTV) showed search and rescue efforts continuing overnight, with rescuers flipping the capsized boat upright and calling out for survivors. The vessel capsized on Saturday afternoon, carrying 48 tourists and five crew members, in one of the worst boating accidents in recent years in the popular tourist area. The official Vietnam News Agency reported that several children were among the tourists, who were all Vietnamese. The government said in a statement, at least 10 people had been rescued and that the sunken boat had been retrieved. Authorities reported strong winds, heavy rainfall and lightning in the area at the time of the incident, adding that these conditions were not yet influenced by the approaching typhoon but were due to wind patterns over the northern region.
NHK
20-07-2025
- Climate
- NHK
Torrential rain in South Korea leaves 14 dead
The death toll from heavy rainfall in South Korea has risen to 14. Twelve people are still missing. Authorities are continuing search and rescue efforts. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety released the figures as of 10 a.m. on Sunday. It says the tally covered the five-day period from Wednesday. Torrential rain swept across much of South Korea over the past several days, causing damage primarily in mountainous areas in the country's south and north. South Korean media reported that Sancheong in South Gyeongsang Province saw about 800 millimeters of rain over a 5-day period starting Wednesday. The reports said the downpours triggered flooding and landslides, with eight people confirmed dead and six others missing as of Sunday morning. They also said the disaster forced more than 2,000 people to evacuate from their homes. Reports from Gapyeong in Gyeonggi Province say two people have been killed and four others are missing after heavy rainfall destroyed houses and swept away a vehicle.
