Fr overseas: Hefty rainfall in Beijing, China causes minimum of 30 deaths
Heavy Rainstorms and Floods in Northern China: At Least 60 Dead, Thousands Evacuated
Over the past few days, northern China has been hit by intense rainfall, resulting in floods and landslides that have claimed at least 60 lives and left many others missing since late July 2025.
The hardest-hit areas include Beijing and its surrounding suburbs, with two deaths reported in Yanqing, located on the outskirts of the capital. The Huairou district in the north and Fangshan in the southwest were also significantly impacted.
In the Beijing suburb of Miyun, 31 deaths occurred in a nursing home affected by flash floods. Additionally, fatalities were reported in Hebei province and other northern areas such as Shanxi, Shaanxi, Liaoning, Shandong, Tianjin, and Inner Mongolia.
Over 80,000 people have been relocated in Beijing alone, and over 300,000 people have been affected by the floods regionally, including 283,000 evacuated in Shanghai due to nearby Typhoon Co-May.
President Xi Jinping has issued an order for "all-out" search and rescue efforts to curb casualties. He has also called on authorities to hasten the relocation of residents in flood-threatened areas.
Local officials, including Beijing’s deputy mayor Xia Linmao, have acknowledged deficiencies in early warning systems and disaster prevention plans, calling for improved preparation and relief efforts to handle extreme weather events.
The flooding is characterized as unusually severe and linked by meteorologists to climate change, with some areas receiving a year's worth of rain in less than a week. The extreme weather highlights ongoing challenges with disaster readiness in northern China, a typically drier region now facing unprecedented rainfall.
The situation is severe, with ongoing rescue efforts, significant casualties, and displacement, and acknowledgments by officials about the need to bolster flood preparedness and response. However, no direct statement from President Xi is included in the current reports.
Additional context: Flash floods and landslides continue to claim lives and leave people missing in northwest regions such as Gansu province (10 dead, 33 missing). Heavy rains and related evacuations also affect southeastern regions due to Typhoon Co-May.
Sources: 1. Xinhua News Agency 2. China Daily 3. CCTV News 4. People's Daily 5. South China Morning Post
News reports suggest that the severe flooding and landslides in northern China have led to at least 91 deaths nationwide, with over 310,000 people affected by the disaster. The media has highlighted the deficiencies in early warning systems and disaster prevention plans, particularly in Beijing and its suburbs. Weather-related accidents and losses have been reported in various provinces, such as Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Liaoning, Shandong, Tianjin, Inner Mongolia, and Gansu, due to the intense rainfall. The ongoing rescue efforts are being closely followed by various media outlets, including the Xinhua News Agency, China Daily, CCTV News, People's Daily, and South China Morning Post.
