An excavator clears debris swept onto a bridge by flooding in the Mentougou district of Beijing after Super Typhoon Doksuri caused the heaviest rainfall recorded in the Chinese capital since 1883. Photo by Ju Huanzong/EPA-EFE/XINHUA
Aug. 2 (UPI) — Super Typhoon Doksuri resulted in a month’s worth of rainfall in Beijing, marking the highest levels in 140 years, according to authorities.
The Wangjiayuan Reservoir in Changping recorded a record-breaking 29 inches of rainfall between Saturday night and 7 a.m. Wednesday, surpassing the previous records of 23 inches in 1883 and 21 inches in 2012, as reported by the Beijing Meteorological Society in a social media post.
A total of 20 deaths related to the storm have been reported as of Tuesday.
State media stated that 11 people were killed in Beijing, with 27 still missing. Additionally, nine deaths occurred in the surrounding Hebei province, with six people remaining unaccounted for.
Among the missing individuals, thirteen were from Mentougou, while the rest were from neighboring districts of Changping and Fangshan, where the highest flood alert level is still in effect.
The streets of suburban Beijing were submerged in water, mud, and debris from nearby forests, and abandoned cars were scattered. Heavy construction equipment was deployed to aid in the cleanup efforts.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged rescue authorities to spare no effort in finding missing individuals and ensuring minimal loss of life, as stated in a directive on flood prevention and disaster relief issued on Tuesday.
“It is crucial to ensure medical treatment for the injured and provide comfort to the families of the deceased,” Xi emphasized. “We must ensure the safety of people’s lives and properties, as well as social stability, with utmost efforts.”
Xi called upon state agencies and local governments to provide “appropriate” assistance to those affected by the floods and geological disasters, and to promptly repair damaged infrastructure including transportation, telecommunications, and power systems to restore normalcy as soon as possible.
He also urged responsible authorities to strengthen early flood warning and monitoring systems, concentrate flood prevention efforts in the most vulnerable areas, and ensure the full implementation of flood prevention measures from July to early August, which is a rainy period in China.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang has been tasked with implementing Xi’s orders to address the emergency situation.
Super Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in the southeast province of Fujian on Friday, after causing death and destruction in the Philippines and southern Taiwan. The typhoon brought 112 mph winds and heavy rain, leading to the evacuation of over 400,000 people and the closure of businesses, schools, and factories.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
