What Caused the Death of 38 People in China Due to Heavy Rain?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- 38 fatalities reported due to torrential rain.
- 15,195 people evacuated from Mentougou District.
- Emergency shelters set up to accommodate evacuees.
- Rail services disrupted in multiple regions.
- Ongoing efforts to manage flood response and recovery.
Beijing, July 29 (NationPress) At least 38 individuals have lost their lives as relentless rainstorms have caused extensive damage throughout China, leading to widespread evacuations and significant traffic disruption.
In Beijing alone, 30 fatalities were reported, while Hebei province recorded eight deaths due to a landslide induced by the heavy rainfall.
The rainstorm alert in the capital was lifted on Tuesday as the intensity of the rainbands diminished and moved eastward, although additional showers are still predicted for the afternoon and evening.
Beijing remains on its highest level of flood-control emergency response.
As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, 15,195 residents in Mentougou District had been evacuated, and all 19 major tourist attractions were closed. In Pinggu District, over 12,800 individuals were relocated, with 40 emergency shelters established in gyms, schools, hotels, and village offices. A total of 34 teams, comprising 1,073 personnel, have been mobilized for flood response efforts in Pinggu, according to Xinhua News Agency.
The city's meteorological bureau reported an average rainfall of 72.2 mm from 8 p.m. Monday to 10 a.m. Tuesday, with the highest reading of 196.5 mm recorded at Yancun Station in Fangshan District.
Authorities confirmed the deaths of 30 individuals in Beijing as of midnight Monday, including 28 in Miyun District and two in Yanqing. In Hebei province, a landslide in Luanping County caused by the rain resulted in eight fatalities, with four others still unaccounted for.
Officials stated that all residents of the impacted village will be relocated as a precautionary measure.
In nearby Tianjin Municipality, over 10,500 people were evacuated from Jizhou District after floodwaters inundated 13 villages along the Juhe River as of Monday night.
“The floodwaters rushed right past my doorstep, and even our tricycle was swept away,” recounted a 63-year-old evacuee with the surname Wei.
Du Hanyong, the principal of a middle school serving as a temporary shelter in Jizhou, assured that the facility is well-stocked with food, water, and essentials, and the cafeteria is prepared to serve if required.
The heavy rainfall has also affected rail services. On Tuesday, railway authorities suspended certain trains on the Beijing-Harbin high-speed railway, and several trains linking Beijing with Baotou, a city in Inner Mongolia, have been either suspended or rerouted.