In northern China, the death toll has risen to at least 30 after heavy rains. According to media reports, at least ten people have died near the Chinese capital Beijing. In addition, 18 people are missing in the city of Baoding in north China’s Hebei Province, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported, citing local authorities. More than a million people were affected by the floods, and over 600,000 were evacuated.
The extreme rainfall was a result of tropical storm “Doksuri”, which hit the Chinese capital Beijing and the neighboring province of Hebei in particular. Streets turned into raging rivers with masses of mud, parked cars were swept away by the floodwaters. In the past few days, Beijing had experienced the heaviest rainfall since records began 140 years ago. Most recently, there was talk of at least 20 deaths around Beijing alone.
In the summer months, heavy rains and floods repeatedly occur in China, which claim many lives. Experts warn that climate change could make such events more frequent and violent.
