Torrential rains and widespread flooding have claimed at least four lives and left eight others missing across northern China, with thousands evacuated as authorities brace for continued downpours through Tuesday morning.
State media reported on Monday that intense rainfall triggered a deadly landslide in a village near Chengde in Hebei province, which surrounds the capital, Beijing. According to China Central Television (CCTV), four people were confirmed dead and eight remain missing in the aftermath of the landslide. The national emergency management department has dispatched a team to oversee response efforts in Hebei, where two additional deaths were recorded over the weekend due to related flooding.
In response to the worsening situation, Beijing authorities have issued the country’s second-highest alert for rainstorms and the highest-level warning for potential floods. The Chinese capital and its surrounding regions have been particularly hard-hit, with floodwaters submerging roads, damaging infrastructure, and forcing emergency evacuations.
More than 4,000 residents were evacuated from Beijing’s suburban Miyun district, where the area’s key reservoir recorded its largest water inflow since its construction over six decades ago. In nearby Mujiayu town, AFP journalists witnessed torrents of water being released from the overwhelmed reservoir. Swollen rivers burst their banks, submerging crop fields, sweeping away power lines, and damaging roads, some of which were littered with chunks of dislodged concrete and twisted guardrails. Military vehicles and ambulances were seen navigating the waterlogged streets as rescue operations intensified.
Low-rise homes in mountainous areas were surrounded by fast-moving floodwaters, though many structures remained standing. However, large swathes of farmland and public infrastructure have been severely impacted.
Elsewhere, Hebei’s Fuping County saw over 4,600 people evacuated over the weekend. In neighboring Shanxi province, a bus accident left 13 people missing and one rescued after the vehicle was swept away by floodwaters, state media reported. Footage from CCTV showed roads and agricultural land in the region completely inundated, with muddy torrents rushing through once-passable areas.
The heavy rainfall is part of a broader pattern of extreme weather events that have plagued China in recent months. Earlier this month, flash floods in Shandong province killed two people and left ten missing, while a landslide in Sichuan province claimed five lives after sweeping several vehicles down a mountainside.
In response to the escalating crisis, China’s National Development and Reform Commission has allocated 50 million yuan (approximately $7 million) to aid emergency recovery and infrastructure reconstruction efforts in Hebei province, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
China frequently experiences natural disasters during the summer season, ranging from torrential rains and flooding to scorching heatwaves. While the country remains the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, a major contributor to climate change and extreme weather, it is also at the forefront of renewable energy development. Beijing has committed to making China’s economy carbon-neutral by 2060.
As authorities continue search and rescue operations and monitor the situation closely, more rainfall is forecast, raising concerns about additional landslides, flash floods, and further damage to infrastructure in affected areas.
Written By Rodney Mbua
