Eight killed as flood collapses Nepal-China bridge
There had been no heavy rainfall in the immediate area of the river in the preceding 24 hours, but weather forecasting experts said Tuesday's flood might have been the result of an overflowing glacial lake in Tibet, where torrential rain had fallen.
Police had recovered eight bodies, none of whom had been identified so far, Nepal Police spokesperson Binod Ghimire told Reuters.
He said 57 people were rescued. Search and rescue operations were continuing, Nepali Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet said.
At least 20 people were missing in Nepal, while China's official Xinhua news agency said 11 people were unaccounted for on the Chinese side of the mountainous border region.
Trade between Nepal and China was disrupted because of the bridge's destruction, officials said.
In Nepal, the missing included six Chinese workers and three police personnel, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said on X.
The missing Chinese nationals were working at the Inland Container Depot being constructed with Chinese assistance about 80km north of capital Kathmandu, said Arjun Paudel, a senior administrative official of Rasuwa district.
"The river also swept away some containers with goods imported from China... There is a big loss (of property) and we are collecting details," he told Reuters.
China has been increasing its investment in Nepal in recent years in domains including roads, power plants, and hospitals.
The Asian giant has been battered by heavy rain and flash floods over the last few days that have left a trail of destruction, and is bracing for a tropical storm this week.
Nepal's weather forecasting department said it was working with Sentinel Asia - an international initiative that uses space-based technology to support disaster management in the Asia-Pacific region - to determine the cause of the flooding.
In Pakistan, at least 79 people, including 38 children, have died in floods and rain-related incidents, including landslides and house collapses, since June 26, its National Disaster Management Authority said on Tuesday.
The authority issued fresh alerts for flash flooding and glacial lake outbursts in the northern and northwestern provinces of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing "a significant rise in temperatures and... an upcoming weather system."
At least eight people were killed and over two dozen are missing after the Bhote Koshi River flooded, washing away the "Friendship Bridge" that links China and Nepal, officials say.
There had been no heavy rainfall in the immediate area of the river in the preceding 24 hours, but weather forecasting experts said Tuesday's flood might have been the result of an overflowing glacial lake in Tibet, where torrential rain had fallen.
Police had recovered eight bodies, none of whom had been identified so far, Nepal Police spokesperson Binod Ghimire told Reuters.
He said 57 people were rescued. Search and rescue operations were continuing, Nepali Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet said.
At least 20 people were missing in Nepal, while China's official Xinhua news agency said 11 people were unaccounted for on the Chinese side of the mountainous border region.
Trade between Nepal and China was disrupted because of the bridge's destruction, officials said.
In Nepal, the missing included six Chinese workers and three police personnel, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said on X.
The missing Chinese nationals were working at the Inland Container Depot being constructed with Chinese assistance about 80km north of capital Kathmandu, said Arjun Paudel, a senior administrative official of Rasuwa district.
"The river also swept away some containers with goods imported from China... There is a big loss (of property) and we are collecting details," he told Reuters.
China has been increasing its investment in Nepal in recent years in domains including roads, power plants, and hospitals.
The Asian giant has been battered by heavy rain and flash floods over the last few days that have left a trail of destruction, and is bracing for a tropical storm this week.
Nepal's weather forecasting department said it was working with Sentinel Asia - an international initiative that uses space-based technology to support disaster management in the Asia-Pacific region - to determine the cause of the flooding.
In Pakistan, at least 79 people, including 38 children, have died in floods and rain-related incidents, including landslides and house collapses, since June 26, its National Disaster Management Authority said on Tuesday.
The authority issued fresh alerts for flash flooding and glacial lake outbursts in the northern and northwestern provinces of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing "a significant rise in temperatures and... an upcoming weather system."
At least eight people were killed and over two dozen are missing after the Bhote Koshi River flooded, washing away the "Friendship Bridge" that links China and Nepal, officials say.
There had been no heavy rainfall in the immediate area of the river in the preceding 24 hours, but weather forecasting experts said Tuesday's flood might have been the result of an overflowing glacial lake in Tibet, where torrential rain had fallen.
Police had recovered eight bodies, none of whom had been identified so far, Nepal Police spokesperson Binod Ghimire told Reuters.
He said 57 people were rescued. Search and rescue operations were continuing, Nepali Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet said.
At least 20 people were missing in Nepal, while China's official Xinhua news agency said 11 people were unaccounted for on the Chinese side of the mountainous border region.
Trade between Nepal and China was disrupted because of the bridge's destruction, officials said.
In Nepal, the missing included six Chinese workers and three police personnel, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said on X.
The missing Chinese nationals were working at the Inland Container Depot being constructed with Chinese assistance about 80km north of capital Kathmandu, said Arjun Paudel, a senior administrative official of Rasuwa district.
"The river also swept away some containers with goods imported from China... There is a big loss (of property) and we are collecting details," he told Reuters.
China has been increasing its investment in Nepal in recent years in domains including roads, power plants, and hospitals.
The Asian giant has been battered by heavy rain and flash floods over the last few days that have left a trail of destruction, and is bracing for a tropical storm this week.
Nepal's weather forecasting department said it was working with Sentinel Asia - an international initiative that uses space-based technology to support disaster management in the Asia-Pacific region - to determine the cause of the flooding.
In Pakistan, at least 79 people, including 38 children, have died in floods and rain-related incidents, including landslides and house collapses, since June 26, its National Disaster Management Authority said on Tuesday.
The authority issued fresh alerts for flash flooding and glacial lake outbursts in the northern and northwestern provinces of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing "a significant rise in temperatures and... an upcoming weather system."
At least eight people were killed and over two dozen are missing after the Bhote Koshi River flooded, washing away the "Friendship Bridge" that links China and Nepal, officials say.
There had been no heavy rainfall in the immediate area of the river in the preceding 24 hours, but weather forecasting experts said Tuesday's flood might have been the result of an overflowing glacial lake in Tibet, where torrential rain had fallen.
Police had recovered eight bodies, none of whom had been identified so far, Nepal Police spokesperson Binod Ghimire told Reuters.
He said 57 people were rescued. Search and rescue operations were continuing, Nepali Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet said.
At least 20 people were missing in Nepal, while China's official Xinhua news agency said 11 people were unaccounted for on the Chinese side of the mountainous border region.
Trade between Nepal and China was disrupted because of the bridge's destruction, officials said.
In Nepal, the missing included six Chinese workers and three police personnel, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said on X.
The missing Chinese nationals were working at the Inland Container Depot being constructed with Chinese assistance about 80km north of capital Kathmandu, said Arjun Paudel, a senior administrative official of Rasuwa district.
"The river also swept away some containers with goods imported from China... There is a big loss (of property) and we are collecting details," he told Reuters.
China has been increasing its investment in Nepal in recent years in domains including roads, power plants, and hospitals.
The Asian giant has been battered by heavy rain and flash floods over the last few days that have left a trail of destruction, and is bracing for a tropical storm this week.
Nepal's weather forecasting department said it was working with Sentinel Asia - an international initiative that uses space-based technology to support disaster management in the Asia-Pacific region - to determine the cause of the flooding.
In Pakistan, at least 79 people, including 38 children, have died in floods and rain-related incidents, including landslides and house collapses, since June 26, its National Disaster Management Authority said on Tuesday.
The authority issued fresh alerts for flash flooding and glacial lake outbursts in the northern and northwestern provinces of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing "a significant rise in temperatures and... an upcoming weather system."
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West Australian
13 hours ago
- West Australian
Hong Kong issues highest weather warning as rains lash
Hong Kong's weather bureau says its highest "black" rainstorm warning will remain in place, as heavy rains lash the Asian financial hub, closing hospital wards, schools, and the jurisdiction's courts and register offices. The storms follow deadly flash floods in Southern China over the weekend, which left five dead in Guangdong province and prompted a large-scale search operation involving more than 1300 rescuers. "Persistent rainstorms will cause serious road flooding and traffic congestion. Members of the public are advised to take shelter in a safe place," the Hong Kong Observatory said in a bulletin on its website. The authority reported 9837 lightning strokes over the city between 6am and 7am on Monday. Up to 60-90mm of rain is hitting Hong Kong and the nearby Chinese city of Guangzhou per hour, according to China's weather authority. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange remains open, having changed its policy to continue trading whatever the weather late last year. Hong Kong's hospital authority announced that accident and emergency wards will remain open, but general outpatient clinics and geriatric and psychiatric day hospitals will close due to the extreme weather. The judiciary said courts, tribunals and register offices would open "as soon as practical within two hours after the 'black' rainstorm warning is cancelled". The post office said all its premises and delivery services would be suspended until the storm warning had passed. The city's airport has not reported any disruptions. Hong Kong Disneyland remains open, with limited operations.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Water search dogs join police operation after woman swept away in flood
POLICE divers and specialty water search dogs have been deployed to the Hunter Valley as part of the multi-agency operation to find a woman swept away in raging floodwaters on the weekend. Two Chinese nationals trying to get back to Sydney after a weekend in wine country attempted to drive through a causeway on Old North Road at North Rothbury as floodwaters surged through on Saturday night. The women, aged 27 and 26, a dog and the small car they were travelling in were washed into Black Creek, near Cessnock. The driver grabbed the dog and made it to shore but her 26-year-old passenger did not surface. Emergency services swarmed the area and a multi-agency search operation was launched, involving the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), the Rural Fire Service (RFS), the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) and police, including water and rescue officers. The search from the land and water, and from the sky with a drone, continued through the weekend. Police divers were tasked to help with the search when it resumed on Monday. Five canines from the VRA NSW Search Dogs squad and their handlers were also tasked to assist. Four of those dogs had been trained in water searching, the first of their kind in Australia. They are part of a wider canine team that assist the police in different circumstances. Squad captain Sue Pritchard said the specialist capability had been deployed about 14 times since it became active one year ago. The dogs are highly trained to find people in the water and on the shoreline, and can help narrow down search areas. "They are truly amazing, and they have been very successful," she said, speaking generally about the squad. They work in a range of conditions and have to be able to navigate debris and balance themselves on a boat. Their training is intense and they have to be so finely tuned to what they are looking for due to the varying water conditions, temperatures, winds and currents. They can smell, detect bubbles, and may lick the water. Their partnerships with their handlers, who have to be able to read what the dogs are trying to say, is key. "We need pretty resilient dogs," she said. The team is made up of cocker and springer spaniels, coolies and a border collie. The volunteer handlers all come from different walks of life and can be called to go anywhere to help out. Captain Pritchard said the team was just happy to be able to help families have their loved ones found as quickly as possible. The search conditions were difficult on Saturday, with rescuers battling poor weather conditions and visibility. Police confirmed family in Australia and China had been notified of the search and police were liaising with Chinese Consulate officials. The 26-year-old woman was in Australia working as an engineer and was visiting the Hunter. A 40-year-old man also attempted to cross Black Creek when his car was swept into the raging waters and he was rescued by SES crews who found him clinging to a tree. The incidents came as wild weather wreaked havoc along the east coast. Shortland Esplanade remained closed to traffic near Nobbys beach on Monday as City of Newcastle crews worked to clear a weather-related landslip. No properties were affected. The New England Highway was closed at Muswellbrook due to flooding but reopened just after 10am on Monday, August 4. Dozens of local roads across the Hunter council areas remained closed due to floodwater inundation. A small section of Raymond Terrace, along the Hunter River, was under evacuation orders on Sunday night. Part of Hinton was isolated on Monday, while Hinton Public School and Hunter Trade College were non-operational. On Monday, the SES warned Clarence Town, Seaham, Muswellbrook, Denman, Maitland and Singleton to monitor conditions and stay informed on flooding in their areas. Holiday-makers and locals on the Mid North Coast were hit with what one resident described as 'mini cyclone' conditions on the weekend, causing damage to structures. The sun came out in Newcastle on Monday and conditions are expected to remain dry on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). POLICE divers and specialty water search dogs have been deployed to the Hunter Valley as part of the multi-agency operation to find a woman swept away in raging floodwaters on the weekend. Two Chinese nationals trying to get back to Sydney after a weekend in wine country attempted to drive through a causeway on Old North Road at North Rothbury as floodwaters surged through on Saturday night. The women, aged 27 and 26, a dog and the small car they were travelling in were washed into Black Creek, near Cessnock. The driver grabbed the dog and made it to shore but her 26-year-old passenger did not surface. Emergency services swarmed the area and a multi-agency search operation was launched, involving the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), the Rural Fire Service (RFS), the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) and police, including water and rescue officers. The search from the land and water, and from the sky with a drone, continued through the weekend. Police divers were tasked to help with the search when it resumed on Monday. Five canines from the VRA NSW Search Dogs squad and their handlers were also tasked to assist. Four of those dogs had been trained in water searching, the first of their kind in Australia. They are part of a wider canine team that assist the police in different circumstances. Squad captain Sue Pritchard said the specialist capability had been deployed about 14 times since it became active one year ago. The dogs are highly trained to find people in the water and on the shoreline, and can help narrow down search areas. "They are truly amazing, and they have been very successful," she said, speaking generally about the squad. They work in a range of conditions and have to be able to navigate debris and balance themselves on a boat. Their training is intense and they have to be so finely tuned to what they are looking for due to the varying water conditions, temperatures, winds and currents. They can smell, detect bubbles, and may lick the water. Their partnerships with their handlers, who have to be able to read what the dogs are trying to say, is key. "We need pretty resilient dogs," she said. The team is made up of cocker and springer spaniels, coolies and a border collie. The volunteer handlers all come from different walks of life and can be called to go anywhere to help out. Captain Pritchard said the team was just happy to be able to help families have their loved ones found as quickly as possible. The search conditions were difficult on Saturday, with rescuers battling poor weather conditions and visibility. Police confirmed family in Australia and China had been notified of the search and police were liaising with Chinese Consulate officials. The 26-year-old woman was in Australia working as an engineer and was visiting the Hunter. A 40-year-old man also attempted to cross Black Creek when his car was swept into the raging waters and he was rescued by SES crews who found him clinging to a tree. The incidents came as wild weather wreaked havoc along the east coast. Shortland Esplanade remained closed to traffic near Nobbys beach on Monday as City of Newcastle crews worked to clear a weather-related landslip. No properties were affected. The New England Highway was closed at Muswellbrook due to flooding but reopened just after 10am on Monday, August 4. Dozens of local roads across the Hunter council areas remained closed due to floodwater inundation. A small section of Raymond Terrace, along the Hunter River, was under evacuation orders on Sunday night. Part of Hinton was isolated on Monday, while Hinton Public School and Hunter Trade College were non-operational. On Monday, the SES warned Clarence Town, Seaham, Muswellbrook, Denman, Maitland and Singleton to monitor conditions and stay informed on flooding in their areas. Holiday-makers and locals on the Mid North Coast were hit with what one resident described as 'mini cyclone' conditions on the weekend, causing damage to structures. The sun came out in Newcastle on Monday and conditions are expected to remain dry on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). POLICE divers and specialty water search dogs have been deployed to the Hunter Valley as part of the multi-agency operation to find a woman swept away in raging floodwaters on the weekend. Two Chinese nationals trying to get back to Sydney after a weekend in wine country attempted to drive through a causeway on Old North Road at North Rothbury as floodwaters surged through on Saturday night. The women, aged 27 and 26, a dog and the small car they were travelling in were washed into Black Creek, near Cessnock. The driver grabbed the dog and made it to shore but her 26-year-old passenger did not surface. Emergency services swarmed the area and a multi-agency search operation was launched, involving the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), the Rural Fire Service (RFS), the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) and police, including water and rescue officers. The search from the land and water, and from the sky with a drone, continued through the weekend. Police divers were tasked to help with the search when it resumed on Monday. Five canines from the VRA NSW Search Dogs squad and their handlers were also tasked to assist. Four of those dogs had been trained in water searching, the first of their kind in Australia. They are part of a wider canine team that assist the police in different circumstances. Squad captain Sue Pritchard said the specialist capability had been deployed about 14 times since it became active one year ago. The dogs are highly trained to find people in the water and on the shoreline, and can help narrow down search areas. "They are truly amazing, and they have been very successful," she said, speaking generally about the squad. They work in a range of conditions and have to be able to navigate debris and balance themselves on a boat. Their training is intense and they have to be so finely tuned to what they are looking for due to the varying water conditions, temperatures, winds and currents. They can smell, detect bubbles, and may lick the water. Their partnerships with their handlers, who have to be able to read what the dogs are trying to say, is key. "We need pretty resilient dogs," she said. The team is made up of cocker and springer spaniels, coolies and a border collie. The volunteer handlers all come from different walks of life and can be called to go anywhere to help out. Captain Pritchard said the team was just happy to be able to help families have their loved ones found as quickly as possible. The search conditions were difficult on Saturday, with rescuers battling poor weather conditions and visibility. Police confirmed family in Australia and China had been notified of the search and police were liaising with Chinese Consulate officials. The 26-year-old woman was in Australia working as an engineer and was visiting the Hunter. A 40-year-old man also attempted to cross Black Creek when his car was swept into the raging waters and he was rescued by SES crews who found him clinging to a tree. The incidents came as wild weather wreaked havoc along the east coast. Shortland Esplanade remained closed to traffic near Nobbys beach on Monday as City of Newcastle crews worked to clear a weather-related landslip. No properties were affected. The New England Highway was closed at Muswellbrook due to flooding but reopened just after 10am on Monday, August 4. Dozens of local roads across the Hunter council areas remained closed due to floodwater inundation. A small section of Raymond Terrace, along the Hunter River, was under evacuation orders on Sunday night. Part of Hinton was isolated on Monday, while Hinton Public School and Hunter Trade College were non-operational. On Monday, the SES warned Clarence Town, Seaham, Muswellbrook, Denman, Maitland and Singleton to monitor conditions and stay informed on flooding in their areas. Holiday-makers and locals on the Mid North Coast were hit with what one resident described as 'mini cyclone' conditions on the weekend, causing damage to structures. The sun came out in Newcastle on Monday and conditions are expected to remain dry on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). POLICE divers and specialty water search dogs have been deployed to the Hunter Valley as part of the multi-agency operation to find a woman swept away in raging floodwaters on the weekend. Two Chinese nationals trying to get back to Sydney after a weekend in wine country attempted to drive through a causeway on Old North Road at North Rothbury as floodwaters surged through on Saturday night. The women, aged 27 and 26, a dog and the small car they were travelling in were washed into Black Creek, near Cessnock. The driver grabbed the dog and made it to shore but her 26-year-old passenger did not surface. Emergency services swarmed the area and a multi-agency search operation was launched, involving the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), the Rural Fire Service (RFS), the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) and police, including water and rescue officers. The search from the land and water, and from the sky with a drone, continued through the weekend. Police divers were tasked to help with the search when it resumed on Monday. Five canines from the VRA NSW Search Dogs squad and their handlers were also tasked to assist. Four of those dogs had been trained in water searching, the first of their kind in Australia. They are part of a wider canine team that assist the police in different circumstances. Squad captain Sue Pritchard said the specialist capability had been deployed about 14 times since it became active one year ago. The dogs are highly trained to find people in the water and on the shoreline, and can help narrow down search areas. "They are truly amazing, and they have been very successful," she said, speaking generally about the squad. They work in a range of conditions and have to be able to navigate debris and balance themselves on a boat. Their training is intense and they have to be so finely tuned to what they are looking for due to the varying water conditions, temperatures, winds and currents. They can smell, detect bubbles, and may lick the water. Their partnerships with their handlers, who have to be able to read what the dogs are trying to say, is key. "We need pretty resilient dogs," she said. The team is made up of cocker and springer spaniels, coolies and a border collie. The volunteer handlers all come from different walks of life and can be called to go anywhere to help out. Captain Pritchard said the team was just happy to be able to help families have their loved ones found as quickly as possible. The search conditions were difficult on Saturday, with rescuers battling poor weather conditions and visibility. Police confirmed family in Australia and China had been notified of the search and police were liaising with Chinese Consulate officials. The 26-year-old woman was in Australia working as an engineer and was visiting the Hunter. A 40-year-old man also attempted to cross Black Creek when his car was swept into the raging waters and he was rescued by SES crews who found him clinging to a tree. The incidents came as wild weather wreaked havoc along the east coast. Shortland Esplanade remained closed to traffic near Nobbys beach on Monday as City of Newcastle crews worked to clear a weather-related landslip. No properties were affected. The New England Highway was closed at Muswellbrook due to flooding but reopened just after 10am on Monday, August 4. Dozens of local roads across the Hunter council areas remained closed due to floodwater inundation. A small section of Raymond Terrace, along the Hunter River, was under evacuation orders on Sunday night. Part of Hinton was isolated on Monday, while Hinton Public School and Hunter Trade College were non-operational. On Monday, the SES warned Clarence Town, Seaham, Muswellbrook, Denman, Maitland and Singleton to monitor conditions and stay informed on flooding in their areas. Holiday-makers and locals on the Mid North Coast were hit with what one resident described as 'mini cyclone' conditions on the weekend, causing damage to structures. The sun came out in Newcastle on Monday and conditions are expected to remain dry on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Fatal floods keeping Beijing on edge as more rain looms
People living in Beijing's mountainous suburbs have been warned to brace for another round of heavy rain, a week after catastrophic floods killed dozens in the deadliest deluge to hit the Chinese capital since 2012. Up to 200mm of rain could hit parts of Beijing over a six-hour period from midday, weather forecasters warned on Monday. The city of 22 million people receives on average 600mm of rainfall each year. The alert comes as authorities rush to reinforce ageing flood defences, fine-tune weather forecasts and update evacuation plans amid reports of bodies being pulled from raging flood waters across the country, including at least three at a flooded wellness camp in Hebei province. Late last month, at least 44 people died in Beijing after days of heavy rains. Most of the dead were unexpectedly trapped by rapidly rising waters at a nursing home in Miyun district on the city's northeastern outskirts. The fatalities led authorities to admit to shortcomings in their contingency plans for extreme weather. On Monday, Beijing had seven of its 16 districts on the highest level of preparedness for flood prevention - Mentougou, Fangshan, Fengtai, Shijingshan, Huairou, Miyun and Yanqing - most of which lie in mountainous areas to the west and north of the city. The risk of flash floods and landslides is "extremely high", authorities said. In the summer of 2012, 79 people died in Beijing in the city's deadliest flooding in living memory. Fangshan district was the worst-hit, with one resident reporting a rise in floodwaters of 1.3 metres in just 10 minutes. Beijing's topography has been described by some as a rain "trap", with its mountains to the west and north capturing moist air and amplifying any ensuing rainfall as a result. As of Saturday, torrential rains that swept through "Beijing Valley", a riverside wellness retreat in the Hebei city of Chengde adjacent to Beijing, had claimed three lives, with four still missing, China's state news agency Xinhua reported. Around 40 people had gathered on July 27 for an event at the site, where organisers directed them into tents pitched on low-lying land next to a river bend, Caixin Media reported. By 2am the next morning, floodwaters had risen to knee height, forcing attendees to scramble towards the camp's only exit. The site bore similarities to Camp Mystic in Texas, where at least 28 children were swept to their deaths last month by floodwaters after the Guadalupe River burst its banks amid torrential rain. In China's southern Guangdong province over the weekend, the bodies of five people were recovered after a large-scale search operation involving more than 1300 rescuers. The five people, who went missing on Friday night, were "swept away by water" following heavy rainfall in recent days, Xinhua reported. People living in Beijing's mountainous suburbs have been warned to brace for another round of heavy rain, a week after catastrophic floods killed dozens in the deadliest deluge to hit the Chinese capital since 2012. Up to 200mm of rain could hit parts of Beijing over a six-hour period from midday, weather forecasters warned on Monday. The city of 22 million people receives on average 600mm of rainfall each year. The alert comes as authorities rush to reinforce ageing flood defences, fine-tune weather forecasts and update evacuation plans amid reports of bodies being pulled from raging flood waters across the country, including at least three at a flooded wellness camp in Hebei province. Late last month, at least 44 people died in Beijing after days of heavy rains. Most of the dead were unexpectedly trapped by rapidly rising waters at a nursing home in Miyun district on the city's northeastern outskirts. The fatalities led authorities to admit to shortcomings in their contingency plans for extreme weather. On Monday, Beijing had seven of its 16 districts on the highest level of preparedness for flood prevention - Mentougou, Fangshan, Fengtai, Shijingshan, Huairou, Miyun and Yanqing - most of which lie in mountainous areas to the west and north of the city. The risk of flash floods and landslides is "extremely high", authorities said. In the summer of 2012, 79 people died in Beijing in the city's deadliest flooding in living memory. Fangshan district was the worst-hit, with one resident reporting a rise in floodwaters of 1.3 metres in just 10 minutes. Beijing's topography has been described by some as a rain "trap", with its mountains to the west and north capturing moist air and amplifying any ensuing rainfall as a result. As of Saturday, torrential rains that swept through "Beijing Valley", a riverside wellness retreat in the Hebei city of Chengde adjacent to Beijing, had claimed three lives, with four still missing, China's state news agency Xinhua reported. Around 40 people had gathered on July 27 for an event at the site, where organisers directed them into tents pitched on low-lying land next to a river bend, Caixin Media reported. By 2am the next morning, floodwaters had risen to knee height, forcing attendees to scramble towards the camp's only exit. The site bore similarities to Camp Mystic in Texas, where at least 28 children were swept to their deaths last month by floodwaters after the Guadalupe River burst its banks amid torrential rain. In China's southern Guangdong province over the weekend, the bodies of five people were recovered after a large-scale search operation involving more than 1300 rescuers. The five people, who went missing on Friday night, were "swept away by water" following heavy rainfall in recent days, Xinhua reported. People living in Beijing's mountainous suburbs have been warned to brace for another round of heavy rain, a week after catastrophic floods killed dozens in the deadliest deluge to hit the Chinese capital since 2012. Up to 200mm of rain could hit parts of Beijing over a six-hour period from midday, weather forecasters warned on Monday. The city of 22 million people receives on average 600mm of rainfall each year. The alert comes as authorities rush to reinforce ageing flood defences, fine-tune weather forecasts and update evacuation plans amid reports of bodies being pulled from raging flood waters across the country, including at least three at a flooded wellness camp in Hebei province. Late last month, at least 44 people died in Beijing after days of heavy rains. Most of the dead were unexpectedly trapped by rapidly rising waters at a nursing home in Miyun district on the city's northeastern outskirts. The fatalities led authorities to admit to shortcomings in their contingency plans for extreme weather. On Monday, Beijing had seven of its 16 districts on the highest level of preparedness for flood prevention - Mentougou, Fangshan, Fengtai, Shijingshan, Huairou, Miyun and Yanqing - most of which lie in mountainous areas to the west and north of the city. The risk of flash floods and landslides is "extremely high", authorities said. In the summer of 2012, 79 people died in Beijing in the city's deadliest flooding in living memory. Fangshan district was the worst-hit, with one resident reporting a rise in floodwaters of 1.3 metres in just 10 minutes. Beijing's topography has been described by some as a rain "trap", with its mountains to the west and north capturing moist air and amplifying any ensuing rainfall as a result. As of Saturday, torrential rains that swept through "Beijing Valley", a riverside wellness retreat in the Hebei city of Chengde adjacent to Beijing, had claimed three lives, with four still missing, China's state news agency Xinhua reported. Around 40 people had gathered on July 27 for an event at the site, where organisers directed them into tents pitched on low-lying land next to a river bend, Caixin Media reported. By 2am the next morning, floodwaters had risen to knee height, forcing attendees to scramble towards the camp's only exit. The site bore similarities to Camp Mystic in Texas, where at least 28 children were swept to their deaths last month by floodwaters after the Guadalupe River burst its banks amid torrential rain. In China's southern Guangdong province over the weekend, the bodies of five people were recovered after a large-scale search operation involving more than 1300 rescuers. The five people, who went missing on Friday night, were "swept away by water" following heavy rainfall in recent days, Xinhua reported. People living in Beijing's mountainous suburbs have been warned to brace for another round of heavy rain, a week after catastrophic floods killed dozens in the deadliest deluge to hit the Chinese capital since 2012. Up to 200mm of rain could hit parts of Beijing over a six-hour period from midday, weather forecasters warned on Monday. The city of 22 million people receives on average 600mm of rainfall each year. The alert comes as authorities rush to reinforce ageing flood defences, fine-tune weather forecasts and update evacuation plans amid reports of bodies being pulled from raging flood waters across the country, including at least three at a flooded wellness camp in Hebei province. Late last month, at least 44 people died in Beijing after days of heavy rains. Most of the dead were unexpectedly trapped by rapidly rising waters at a nursing home in Miyun district on the city's northeastern outskirts. The fatalities led authorities to admit to shortcomings in their contingency plans for extreme weather. On Monday, Beijing had seven of its 16 districts on the highest level of preparedness for flood prevention - Mentougou, Fangshan, Fengtai, Shijingshan, Huairou, Miyun and Yanqing - most of which lie in mountainous areas to the west and north of the city. The risk of flash floods and landslides is "extremely high", authorities said. In the summer of 2012, 79 people died in Beijing in the city's deadliest flooding in living memory. Fangshan district was the worst-hit, with one resident reporting a rise in floodwaters of 1.3 metres in just 10 minutes. Beijing's topography has been described by some as a rain "trap", with its mountains to the west and north capturing moist air and amplifying any ensuing rainfall as a result. As of Saturday, torrential rains that swept through "Beijing Valley", a riverside wellness retreat in the Hebei city of Chengde adjacent to Beijing, had claimed three lives, with four still missing, China's state news agency Xinhua reported. Around 40 people had gathered on July 27 for an event at the site, where organisers directed them into tents pitched on low-lying land next to a river bend, Caixin Media reported. By 2am the next morning, floodwaters had risen to knee height, forcing attendees to scramble towards the camp's only exit. The site bore similarities to Camp Mystic in Texas, where at least 28 children were swept to their deaths last month by floodwaters after the Guadalupe River burst its banks amid torrential rain. In China's southern Guangdong province over the weekend, the bodies of five people were recovered after a large-scale search operation involving more than 1300 rescuers. The five people, who went missing on Friday night, were "swept away by water" following heavy rainfall in recent days, Xinhua reported.
