Beijing, China : Life in China’s capital city has been thrown into turmoil following relentless downpours in its northern suburbs, which have left at least 30 people dead and over 80,000 residents displaced. The torrential rains have caused widespread flooding, damaged infrastructure, and disrupted normal life across the region.
According to Chinese state media, the heaviest-hit area is Beijing’s rural Miyun District, where 28 fatalities have been reported. In the Yanqing District, two more lives were lost. Rescue operations are still ongoing as authorities continue searching for at least eight people reported missing.
The continuous rainfall has inundated roads, submerged vehicles, and rendered 136 villages without electricity. Emergency teams have been deployed to conduct rescue and relief operations, with evacuated residents being relocated to safer accommodations.
President Xi Jinping has instructed officials to intensify all efforts to reduce casualties and ensure the safety and rehabilitation of those affected. Meanwhile, Premier Li Qiang acknowledged the extensive damage in Miyun during his official statement on Monday.
Neighboring Tianjin City and several districts around Beijing, including parts of Hebei Province, have also been severely impacted. Over 40,000 people from surrounding areas were evacuated after water was released from a major reservoir in Miyun—the highest it has reached since its construction in 1959.
In Luanping County, bordering Miyun, vehicles were swept away and utility poles toppled due to the ferocity of the storm. Authorities had earlier issued flood alerts and urged people living in low-lying areas to relocate, anticipating a sharp rise in river water levels.
With landslides reported in parts of Hebei, officials fear the death toll could rise as rescue operations continue. The situation remains critical as emergency personnel race against time to locate the missing and restore normalcy to affected regions.
