At least 30 people have lost their lives in Beijing due to severe flooding, with more than 80,000 individuals evacuated for their safety, according to Chinese officials. The torrential rains have wreaked havoc on roads and homes across the northern region, leading to a tragic landslide in Chengde city that resulted in eight additional fatalities.
As China faces a summer marked by extreme weather phenomena, President Xi Jinping has called for "all-out" rescue operations, urging local authorities to prepare for potential worst-case scenarios. “No effort should be spared to search for and rescue those missing or trapped,” he emphasized, while announcing the allocation of 200 million yuan (approximately $28 million) for recovery initiatives, particularly for transport and infrastructure repair.
The hardest-hit areas include the suburban districts of Miyun and Huairou. Reports indicate that the floods have damaged numerous roads and disrupted electricity supply to over 130 villages. Eyewitness videos capture the harrowing efforts of rescuers maneuvering through chest-deep waters to aid stranded residents, alongside aerial support from helicopters and drones distributing essential supplies.
Local resident Ms. Yang expressed deep concern for her family in Miyun, who have limited mobility and health issues. Despite her attempts to reach them, she had been unable to establish contact since Sunday and has turned to social media for help, fearing that rescue teams might overlook her small, isolated village.
Residents shared distressing accounts of how the floodwaters surged in an instant, with shop-owner Zhuang Zhelin recalling, “The flood came rushing in, just like that, so fast and suddenly.” Another neighbor recounted their precarious wait for rescue after retreating to higher ground.
History shows that Beijing is no stranger to flooding, particularly during the summertime. A notable disaster in July 2012 saw 190mm of rain fall in just one day, resulting in 79 deaths. This summer's extreme flooding is part of a broader trend of severe weather across much of China.
Earlier this month, Typhoon Wipha caused two casualties and left ten individuals missing in Shandong province, while a deadly landslide claimed three lives in Ya'an city two weeks prior. Recent experts link increasingly severe weather incidents to climate change, posing significant risks to China's population and its vital agricultural economy, with losses from natural disasters in the first half of this year reaching approximately 54.11 billion yuan ($7.5 billion), primarily due to flooding.
