At Least 38 Dead and 80,000 Evacuated as Extreme Flooding Hits China: Reports
NEED TO KNOW
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At least 38 people have reportedly died in China due to severe floods, which are causing structural damage and power outages across the east and north
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Amid the natural disaster, 80,000 people have been evacuated
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While the rains have temporarily slowed, they are expected to pick up again in the coming days
At least 38 people have reportedly died due to severe floods sweeping across eastern and northern China.
On Monday, July 28, the areas were hit with heavy rain and floods, resulting in 28 deaths in the Beijing district of Miyun and two deaths in the Yanqing district, the Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
An additional eight people were also confirmed to have died in Hebei province, per BBC News.
The floods caused significant casualties, power outages and damage to property and roads, triggering a mass evacuation in the region.
ADEK BERRY/AFP via Getty
Extreme floods hit eastern and northern China on July 28
As of Tuesday, July 29, more than 80,000 people were safely evacuated to shelters outside of the flood zone in Beijing, per Xinhua.
“Heavy rain started to hit on Saturday night, flooding some homes in the town,” Cui Di, deputy chief of Shicheng Township in Miyun, told the outlet. “During emergencies like this, it’s tough for everyone. We do our best to make the shelter as comfortable as possible to ease their anxiety.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “all-out efforts” in search and rescue operations and flood control as he told authorities to prepare for the “worst-case and extreme scenarios,” BBC News and Xinhua reported.
The Chinese Liberation Army and local armed police force and militias have assisted in disaster relief efforts by conducting rescue operations, repairing damaged roads and providing supplies to those in need, per Xinhua.
China’s Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management offered 350 million yuan ($49 million) for recovery efforts. China’s National Development and Reform Commission also allocated 200 million yuan ($28 millon) in relief efforts, per Xinhua.
Beijing issued an alert for rainstorms on Monday evening as local flood control headquarters “activated the highest level of its citywide flood-control emergency response mechanism,” per BBC News and Xinhua.
Firefighters transport supplies through a temporarily built wooden bridge at Liulimiao Town in Huairou District in Beijing on July 28
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The peak flow in the Qingshui River running through Miyun was dramatically higher than normal, Xinhua reported as evidence of the strength of the flooding.
By 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, rainfall in Taishitun Township, Miyun, began to subside and some local shops opened up again, according to the outlet.
The rainstorm alert in Beijing ended at 2:30 p.m. local time, per BBC News. However, additional rain is forecasted in the coming days.
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