China: Dozens Killed as Beijing Records Heaviest Rainfall in 140 Years

By Staff, Agencies

The city’s weather service in Beijing announced that “in recent days were the heaviest since records began 140 years ago".

“The maximum [amount] of rainfall recorded during this storm, which was 744.8 millimeters, occurred at the Wangjiayuan Reservoir in Changping,” the Beijing Meteorological Service said, adding it was the “heaviest rainfall in 140 years”.    

Storm Doksuri, a former super typhoon, swept northwards over China after hitting southern Fujian province last week, following its battering of the Philippines. Heavy rains began pummeling the capital and surrounding areas on Saturday, with nearly the average rainfall for the entire month of July dumped on Beijing in just 40 hours.

Earlier on Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV said the rains had killed at least 11 people in Beijing, two of whom were workers “killed on duty during rescue and relief” operations. Thirteen people were still missing, the broadcaster said.

In neighboring Hebei province, where over 800,000 people were evacuated, nine people were killed and six were missing, it said. Another two casualties were reported in northeastern Liaoning province over the weekend. President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for “every effort” to rescue those “lost or trapped” by the rains.