Dozens pass away as China struck with year’s rainfall in days
(MENAFN) Severe flooding and torrential rains in China have claimed at least 38 lives, with widespread damage to infrastructure and mass evacuations reported, according to state media.
The extreme weather began last Wednesday, affecting 11 regions in northern China. The worst impact was felt on Monday in Beijing and surrounding provinces, where 30 people died and over 80,000 were evacuated, as reported by Xinhua on Tuesday. In Hebei province’s Chengde City, landslides caused by the deluge left eight people dead and four missing. Nearly 100,000 people have been displaced in areas near the capital and in southwestern regions.
President Xi Jinping has called for maximum efforts in search and rescue operations to reduce casualties. Military and paramilitary forces, including the People’s Liberation Army and local militias, have been mobilized to assist in the relief effort.
Beijing experienced 534 mm (21 inches) of rainfall in its Miyun district — nearly the city’s average yearly total of 600 mm. Nearby Baoding city also saw unprecedented rainfall, recording 540 mm (21.3 inches) within just eight hours, surpassing its typical annual average of 500 mm.
China’s National Meteorological Center warned that some areas could receive up to 300 mm of rain in the next 24 hours.
Recent years have seen an increase in extreme weather across northern China, placing densely populated areas at heightened flood risk. In 2023, the capital faced its worst flooding in over a century, resulting in dozens of deaths and the relocation of a million people.
Elsewhere in Asia, countries are also battling severe weather. Last week, Tropical Storm Wipha and the East Asian monsoon brought deadly floods to parts of Southeast Asia, causing additional casualties.
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