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Heaviest rain in a decade kills 11 in Beijing as raging torrents wash away roads and cars

01 August 2023 11:31 (UTC +04:00)

Deadly downpours have triggered landslides and floods that swept away cars and destroyed roads in Beijing, as the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri unleashed the heaviest deluge in a decade over parts of northern China, APA reports citing CNN.

Two days of rainfall have overwhelmed riverbeds around the western outskirts of the Chinese capital, turning once calm waterways into ferocious torrents that have swept into people’s homes and torn down streets, according to video on state television and social media.

At least 11 people have been killed and 27 others reported missing, state broadcaster CCTV reported, while more than 127,000 people have been evacuated from the city.

The sprawling megacity, home to nearly 22 million people, saw an entire month’s worth of rainfall over 48 hours – an average 175.7 millimeters (nearly 7 inches) – according to CNN Weather.

But in western districts hit hardest – and where most of the fatalities were reported – the downpours were far worse. In Mentougou district, the average rainfall was more than 18 inches, according to data from Beijing’s meteorological service, while nearby Fangshan saw 16 inches of rain.

The storm is the deadliest to hit Beijing since 2012 when floods killed 77 people – a toll that authorities initially tried to cover up.

China faces typhoons and heavy rains during the summer months, but the frequency and destruction that the annual rains bring have been exacerbated by climate change, experts warn. At least 300 people were killed in floods in Zhengzhou, central Henan province, in 2021.