Death toll from flooding in Beijing area rises to 60
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Qatar Tribune
4 days ago
- Qatar Tribune
Death toll from flooding in Beijing area rises to 60
Beijing: The death toll from flooding caused by heavy rains in and around Beijing has climbed to at least 60, authorities said on Thursday. In the Chinese capital, the number of dead rose from 30 to 44, while at least eight people were reported to have been killed in neighbouring Chengde city, as rescue efforts to locate those still missing continue. A home for the elderly on the outskirts of Beijing was particularly hard-hit, with the facility suddenly submerged by water on Monday morning, local party official Yu Weiguo said during a press conference. Most of the residents were dependent on care, he said, adding that emergency responderes were initially unable to reach the facility in Miyun due to the currents. At least 37 deaths have been confirmed in the neighbourhood so far, according to the official. More than 80,000 people had to be evacuated due to the flooding, including around 17,000 in Miyun. (dpa)
Al Jazeera
5 days ago
- Al Jazeera
China flooding kills dozens, including 31 trapped at elderly care home
Torrential rains and flooding across northern China have killed dozens of people, authorities say, including more than 30 elderly residents who were trapped at a care facility in a suburb of the capital Beijing. Officials said on Thursday that 31 people died at the Taishitun Town Elderly Care Center in the Miyun district, about a 90-minute drive from central Beijing, which was one of the areas hit hardest by this week's storms. 'For a long time, this senior centre was in the town's centre and was safe, and such was not included in the preparedness plans,' said Yu Weiguo, the Communist Party secretary for Miyun, expressing his condolences and adding it was a 'bitter lesson'. 'This showed that our contingency plan had flaws, and our understanding of extreme weather was inadequate,' Yu said. The care centre housed 69 residents, including 55 who were disabled in some capacity. The facility sat on low-lying ground near a river that had flooded after the unusually intense rains, local media outlet Caixin reported. Torrential rains began a week ago and peaked around Beijing and its surrounding provinces on Monday. In the space of a few days, the hilly Miyun district in the northeast of the capital saw rainfall of up to 573.5mm (22.6 inches). By comparison, the average annual precipitation in Beijing is around 600mm (23.6 inches). The Miyun Reservoir, the largest in northern China, saw record-breaking water levels during the rains. The Qingshui River, which runs through Taishitun feeding into the reservoir and is normally a small stream, was flowing at 1,500 times its normal volume on Monday morning when the disaster struck, Yu said. One Beijing resident's 87-year-old mother managed to get out of the elder care centre in Miyun, Caixin reported. 'She doesn't know where she got the strength, but she managed to climb onto the windowsill,' the woman's daughter said, noting her mother's roommate was unable to escape and drowned. Hundreds of thousands affected At a news conference on Thursday, Beijing's Deputy Mayor Xia Linmao said at least 44 people died over the past week in the city. In total, more than 300,000 people have been affected by the rain and flooding in the capital, with more than 24,000 homes, 242 bridges and 756km (470 miles) of roads damaged, said Xia, citing preliminary figures. In neighbouring Hebei province, authorities announced an additional eight deaths on Thursday and 16 deaths total this week. At least 31 people were missing in Beijing and Hebei province, authorities said. Meanwhile, in northern Shanxi province, authorities said on Wednesday evening that 10 people were dead after a minibus carrying farm workers washed away in heavy rain. Four people were still missing as the rescue continued, according to a city government statement three days after the bus disappeared.
Qatar Tribune
20-07-2025
- Qatar Tribune
Typhoon Wipha hits Hong Kong bringing on highest storm alert
Hong Kong issued its highest tropical cyclone warning as Typhoon Wipha battered the city, with authorities cancelling school classes and grounding hundreds of flights. Wipha was located around 60km south-east of Hong Kong as of 10am on Sunday, according to the city's weather observatory. Huge waves were spotted off the eastern coast of Hong Kong Island. The observatory issued a T10 hurricane alert, its highest warning, saying 'winds with mean speeds of 118 kilometres per hour or more are expected' and pose 'considerable threat to Hong Kong'. 'Under the influence of its eyewall, hurricane force winds are affecting the southern part of the territory,' the observatory said, warning the public to 'beware of destructive winds'. China's Hainan and Guangdong provinces were also put on high alert, state news agency Xinhua said. The storm, which reached typhoon strength overnight, was headed toward Macau and the neighbouring Chinese city of Zhuhai. It was forecast to make landfall late Sunday and continue moving west, reaching Vietnam later this week. A representative from Hong Kong's airport authority said on Sunday that about 500 flights were cancelled due to weather, while about 400 flights were rescheduled to take off or land later in the day. Hundreds of people sought refuge at government-run temporary shelters. One man sought medical treatment at the emergency room of a public hospital on Sunday morning, with officials receiving more than a dozen reports of fallen trees. Authorities suspended Sunday's classes at all day schools and daycare centres. Local trains offered limited services while operations in open sections were suspended. Wipha brought heavy rains and flooding to the Philippines and two people were reported missing, according to the country's national disaster council. Hong Kong last used the T10 warning signal for Super Typhoon Saola in 2023.
