More than 30 elderly residents lost their lives after devastating flooding struck a nursing home in the Miyun District of Beijing this week, local authorities confirmed. Emergency responders were seen navigating through water reaching nearly 2 meters (6 feet) high, desperately working to rescue those trapped inside the care facility. Reports indicate that many of the deceased were immobile and unable to evacuate in the chaos.
In total, the recent flooding in Beijing has claimed 44 lives, amid a summer marked by extreme weather conditions across the country. Following severe heatwaves earlier this month, additional flooding has also impacted the southwestern regions of China.
At the time of the flooding, approximately 77 elderly residents were housed in the nursing home, with around 40 individuals becoming trapped as water levels rapidly surged. The facility mainly serves individuals who are severely disabled or have limited means. Authorities stated that the nursing home was situated in an area previously deemed safe, which resulted in its exclusion from emergency evacuation plans. An official emphasized this incident as a sobering wake-up call for the necessity of better emergency preparedness in light of increasingly severe weather patterns.
In the neighboring Hebei province, reports have confirmed 16 deaths attributed to the heavy rainfall, with numerous individuals still missing in the city of Chengde. Historically, Beijing has been prone to flooding, especially during the summer. A notable flood in July 2012 resulted in the deaths of 79 people when the city was overwhelmed with 190mm of rainfall within a single day.
This summer has seen a series of floods wreak havoc across various regions in China, with additional fatalities reported during Typhoon Wipha and landslides earlier this month. Experts link these extreme weather phenomena to climate change, raising concerns over the safety and economic stability of the nation, particularly its agricultural sector. According to the Ministry of Emergency Management, natural disasters in the first half of the year have inflicted damages exceeding 54.11 billion yuan ($7.5 billion), with flooding representing the majority of these losses.
In total, the recent flooding in Beijing has claimed 44 lives, amid a summer marked by extreme weather conditions across the country. Following severe heatwaves earlier this month, additional flooding has also impacted the southwestern regions of China.
At the time of the flooding, approximately 77 elderly residents were housed in the nursing home, with around 40 individuals becoming trapped as water levels rapidly surged. The facility mainly serves individuals who are severely disabled or have limited means. Authorities stated that the nursing home was situated in an area previously deemed safe, which resulted in its exclusion from emergency evacuation plans. An official emphasized this incident as a sobering wake-up call for the necessity of better emergency preparedness in light of increasingly severe weather patterns.
In the neighboring Hebei province, reports have confirmed 16 deaths attributed to the heavy rainfall, with numerous individuals still missing in the city of Chengde. Historically, Beijing has been prone to flooding, especially during the summer. A notable flood in July 2012 resulted in the deaths of 79 people when the city was overwhelmed with 190mm of rainfall within a single day.
This summer has seen a series of floods wreak havoc across various regions in China, with additional fatalities reported during Typhoon Wipha and landslides earlier this month. Experts link these extreme weather phenomena to climate change, raising concerns over the safety and economic stability of the nation, particularly its agricultural sector. According to the Ministry of Emergency Management, natural disasters in the first half of the year have inflicted damages exceeding 54.11 billion yuan ($7.5 billion), with flooding representing the majority of these losses.
