Since last week, heavy rains have been falling across China, resulting in 30 flood-related fatalities in the capital, Beijing.
China Central Television (CCTV) reported on the 29th that "significant disasters have occurred due to continuous extreme rainfall," stating that "30 people have died across Beijing, with 28 fatalities reported in the Miyun District and 2 in the Yanqing District."
According to CCTV, an average of 165.9mm of rain fell in Beijing as of midnight that day. The northeastern outskirts of Miyun District recorded the highest rainfall at 543.4mm. In the nearby Huairou District, 95.3mm of torrential rain fell within just one hour on the 26th from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Due to this, a total of 80,332 people evacuated from Miyun District, Huairou District, and Pangshan District in the southwest of Beijing. In addition, 31 roads were damaged, power supply was cut off to 136 villages, and service was interrupted to 1,825 communication base stations.
To prevent damage in the central area where major institutions are concentrated, the Beijing authorities adjusted the water levels of surrounding rivers, and due to disparities in disaster prevention infrastructure between the central and outskirts, the damage from this heavy rain was concentrated in the outskirts and rural areas of Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged for minimized casualties. He noted, "Significant human casualties and property losses have occurred in Beijing, Hebei, Jilin, and Shandong," and ordered, "Flood prevention and disaster relief efforts must be diligently carried out, search and rescue operations for missing and isolated individuals must be conducted vigorously, and at-risk residents should be evacuated decisively to minimize human casualties."