Chinese state media CCTV reported on Tuesday that at least 11 people have lost their lives and 27 others are still missing as heavy rainfall continues to pound Beijing for a fourth consecutive day. The powerful typhoon Doksuri has been one of the strongest to hit the mainland in years, leading authorities to evacuate more than 52,000 residents from the capital city. As a precautionary measure, over 100 mountain roads have been sealed off.
The rivers in the country have swelled to unprecedented levels, prompting authorities to utilize a flood storage reservoir in Beijing for the first time since its construction over 25 years ago. To assist those stranded in and around a train station in the hard-hit Mentougou district, a military unit consisting of 26 soldiers and four helicopters was deployed on Tuesday to deliver food packages and ponchos.
CCTV reported that on July 31, areas in Beijing, including Fangshan and Mentougou, experienced severe water damage, resulting in three trains being trapped and road traffic being completely cut off in some regions.
The state media revealed that the average rainfall in Beijing reached 176.9 mm between Saturday night and Monday afternoon, with Mentougou experiencing a maximum recorded rainfall of 580.9 mm. Around 150,000 households in Mentougou are without running water, and authorities have dispatched 45 water tankers to provide emergency supplies to those affected.
To curb the spread of the pandemic, Beijing residents have been advised to stay indoors unless necessary, leading to the usually bustling streets becoming deserted over the weekend. Both airports in the city canceled over 200 flights on Monday afternoon, with close to 600 flights facing delays.
Furthermore, Chinese forecasters have warned about the approaching storm named ‘Khanun,’ which is expected to rapidly intensify and strike China’s densely populated coast next week. Although Doksuri has been downgraded from a typhoon, the Chinese weather agency elevated Khanun’s status from a tropical storm to a typhoon on Sunday.
Scientists attribute these extreme weather phenomena in China to climate change, with summers experiencing extremely high temperatures followed by heavy rainfall in the subsequent months.
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