At least 20 killed, 19 missing in China rainstorms
Thompson Nsisongabasi
Aug 01, 2023
At least 20 killed, 19 missing in China rainstorms
At least 20 people were killed and 19 were missing after heavy rains lashed Beijing and surrounding provinces, state media said Tuesday, in downpours that have submerged roads and deluged neighbourhoods with mud.
READ ALSO: How Army Uncovered Gun Manufacturing Factory In Kaduna | READ MORE
Storm Doksuri, a former super typhoon, swept northwards over China after hitting southern Fujian province on Friday, following its battering of the Philippines.
READ ALSO: I Will Not Allow Criminality As President, Peter Obi Declares
Heavy rains began pummelling the capital and surrounding areas on Saturday, with nearly the average rainfall for the entire month of July dumped on Beijing in just 40 hours.
READ ALSO: Minimum wage: NLC state councils takes action against erring govts
Swaths of suburban Beijing remain badly hit by the rains - some of the city's heaviest in years.
READ ALSO: Victor Moses Welcomes Third Child With Wife
On the banks of the Mentougou river, one of the worst affected areas, AFP reporters saw muddy debris strewn across the road.
One man told AFP he had not seen flooding this bad since July 2012, when 79 people were killed and tens of thousands evacuated.
READ ALSO: Sowore's Miscalculation and the Need to beat a Wise Retreat
"This time it's much bigger than that,ÔÇØ he said, declining to give his name.
"It's a natural disaster, there's nothing you can do,ÔÇØ a 20-year-old man surnamed Qi, who was waiting for a taxi with his grandmother outside a hospital, told AFP.
READ ALSO: Ondo guber: APC, PDP buy votes as electorate get between N5000, N10000
"(We) still have to work hard and rebuild.ÔÇØ
READ ALSO: Why El-Rufai Was Returned To ICPC Custody?
On Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV said that the rains had killed at least 11 people in Beijing, two of whom were workers "killed on duty during rescue and reliefÔÇØ.
Thirteen people were still missing, but another 14 had been found safe, the broadcaster said.
READ ALSO: How Seven Policemen, 4 Others Were Killed When Bandits Unleash Terror Attack On Zamfara Community
In neighbouring Hebei province, nine people were killed and six were missing, it said.
READ ALSO: ABIA: Uche Ogah did not come to contest election in 2019 - Apugo reveals
Another two casualties were reported in northeastern Liaoning province over the weekend.
READ ALSO: How Army Uncovered Gun Manufacturing Factory In Kaduna | READ MORE
President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for "every effortÔÇØ to rescue those "lost or trappedÔÇØ by the rains.
READ ALSO: I Will Not Allow Criminality As President, Peter Obi Declares
More than 100,000 people deemed at risk across Beijing have been evacuated, according to state-owned Global Times newspaper.
READ ALSO: Minimum wage: NLC state councils takes action against erring govts
Authorities have allocated 110 million yuan ($15.4 million) for disaster relief work in the capital and surrounding provinces, CCTV said.
READ ALSO: Victor Moses Welcomes Third Child With Wife
- 'Endure what we can' -
Florist Wang Yongkun, 62, had piled sandbags around the door of his shop, but the floor inside was still coated in mud.
He said in 15 years working there he had never experienced anything like the last few days.
READ ALSO: Sowore's Miscalculation and the Need to beat a Wise Retreat
"We started cleaning up in the afternoon yesterday... and woke up again at seven today to continue,ÔÇØ he said.
"You just have to deal with it... We will endure what we can.ÔÇØ
READ ALSO: Ondo guber: APC, PDP buy votes as electorate get between N5000, N10000
Further south in Fangshan district, the Dashi River had overflowed, with trees along the riverbank partially submerged, and some sections of the road cordoned off.
READ ALSO: Why El-Rufai Was Returned To ICPC Custody?
Roads were caked in mud, foliage and various debris, including an upturned armchair.
AFP reporters saw collapsed bridges at two locations, with locals saying the damage had happened during the rains.
READ ALSO: How Seven Policemen, 4 Others Were Killed When Bandits Unleash Terror Attack On Zamfara Community
Earlier social media videos tagged in Fangshan had shown multiple cars being swept along roads turned into fast-flowing streams.
READ ALSO: ABIA: Uche Ogah did not come to contest election in 2019 - Apugo reveals
Live images from broadcaster CCTV on Tuesday morning showed a row of buses half submerged in floodwater.
READ ALSO: How Army Uncovered Gun Manufacturing Factory In Kaduna | READ MORE
In the parking lot of a high-rise apartment complex, cars were piled on top of each other, alarms still sounding, while people lined up with buckets and other containers to collect fresh water.
READ ALSO: I Will Not Allow Criminality As President, Peter Obi Declares
- Chaotic scenes -
Local media on Monday published footage of chaotic scenes aboard high-speed rail trains stranded on tracks for as long as 30 hours, with passengers complaining that they had run out of food and water.
READ ALSO: Minimum wage: NLC state councils takes action against erring govts
Authorities "must properly relocate affected people, work quickly to repair damaged transportation, communication, and electricity infrastructure, and restore the order of normal production and life as soon as possibleÔÇØ, Xi said on Tuesday.
READ ALSO: Victor Moses Welcomes Third Child With Wife
The capital activated a flood control reservoir on Monday for the first time since it was built in 1998, the Beijing Daily said.
Parts of Hebei remain under red alert for rainstorms, with authorities warning of potential flash floods and landslides.
READ ALSO: Sowore's Miscalculation and the Need to beat a Wise Retreat
In Handan, Hebei province, rescuers lifted by crane reached a man trapped on top of his car in floodwaters, lifting him to safety before the car was flipped and washed away by the current.
China has been experiencing extreme weather and posting record temperatures this summer, events that scientists say are being exacerbated by climate change.
READ ALSO: Ondo guber: APC, PDP buy votes as electorate get between N5000, N10000
The country is already preparing for the arrival of typhoon Khanun, the sixth such storm of the year, as it nears China's east coast.
Related Stories
REVEALED: How All Progressives Congress (APC) Played Into The Opposition Hands Ahead Of 2027 - Sumner Sambo Warns
I Will Not Allow Criminality As President, Peter Obi Declares
Why El-Rufai Was Returned To ICPC Custody?
Sowore's Miscalculation and the Need to beat a Wise Retreat
Tinubu Breaks Silence on Hardship, Inflation, Power Crisis - Vows Nigeria Will Overcome Economic Storm
"Terrorists Have Outgunned Our TroopsÔÇØ - Ndume Raises Alarm Over Boko Haram War, Sends Urgent Message To Tinubu
""
— Thompson Nsisongabasi