At least 60 people have lost their lives in northern China due to severe flooding and landslides triggered by record-breaking rainfall, making it one of the most deadly weather disasters to strike the region in recent years. The tragedy has primarily affected Beijing and the neighboring Hebei province, with several areas submerged and communities devastated.
In Beijing alone, 44 deaths have been confirmed, including 31 elderly residents who perished when floodwaters struck a care facility in the Miyun district. The region recorded rainfall peaking at 573.5 mm nearly equivalent to the city’s annual average rainfall of 600 mm overwhelming infrastructure and prompting emergency evacuations.
Deputy Mayor Xia Linmao said nine people remain missing, while search and rescue operations continue. The rainfall intensified earlier in the week, catching many off guard and submerging key areas across Beijing.
In Hebei province, officials confirmed 16 deaths and reported 18 individuals still missing, especially in the Xinglong area of Chengde, about 25 kilometers from the overfilled Miyun reservoir. Landslides have worsened the crisis, burying homes and cutting off rural access roads.
The floods have also disrupted industrial and factory activity, with Chinese authorities citing climate change as a key factor in the frequency and severity of such disasters. Emergency teams remain on high alert as recovery efforts and damage assessments are ongoing.