Beijing, China, has recently experienced severe rainstorms, leading to devastating disasters. According to official information from the Chinese government, the death toll in Beijing due to the disaster has reached 30 people as of now, but the authorities have not reported the number of missing persons as per usual practice. Various sources and online users have suggested that the actual casualties may exceed the officially disclosed numbers, especially with reports of elderly residents in a nursing home in Miyun District suspected to have perished in the floods without a clear official notification. Heart-wrenching images have circulated showing elderly individuals stranded in the nursing home, helplessly waving for rescue.
The heavy rainfall in the northern region of China, including Beijing and Hebei, has been ongoing since late July, causing massive floods and landslides. According to reports from Xinhua News Agency, most of the rainwaters have submerged the northern mountainous areas near the Great Wall of Beijing, with 28 reported deaths in Miyun District and 2 in Yanqing District.
Hao Nan, the head of Zhuomingxin Aid, told “China News Weekly” that Miyun District in Beijing had been hit by consecutive disasters on July 26-28. Firstly, from the night of the 26th to the early morning of the 27th, areas in Miyun, Huairou, Yanqing, as well as Luanping in Chengde, experienced extreme precipitation, leading to rapid convergence of floodwaters in the mountainous regions and resulting in severe flooding in the Chaohe and Baihe river basins upstream of the Miyun Reservoir. The most affected areas were Shicheng Town, Fengjiayu Town, Bulaotun Town in Miyun, as well as Liulimiao Town and Baoshan Town in Huairou.
Subsequently, on the night of the 27th to the early morning of the 28th, the impact of another extreme precipitation event in Xinglong County, Hebei, Miyun District, Pinggu District of Beijing, and the vicinity of Jizhou District in Tianjin led to a significant rise in water levels in smaller rivers like Qinghe River and Wuhe River upstream of the Miyun Reservoir. Most of the heavy rainfall was concentrated in Xinglong County, with a part of the rainwater flowing eastward into the Qinghe River basin, affecting the towns of Beizhuang and Taishitun in Miyun severely on July 28.
The most concerning incident was the situation at the nursing home in Taishitun Town. Many netizens shared online posts stating that their relatives were missing or swept away by the floodwaters in the nursing home, expressing sadness and shock. However, there has been no official confirmation of the actual casualties.
Reported by “Southern Daily,” on July 29, relatives of residents in the aforementioned nursing home shared that “Auntie and her partially paralyzed nephew living in the nursing home in Miyun drowned in the flood.” The relative mentioned that they received a call from direct relatives of Auntie, confirming the unfortunate fate of Auntie and her nephew. When asked whether the bodies of Auntie and others had been taken to the funeral home, the relative mentioned it hadn’t been done yet, as it would take a few days and the rain hasn’t completely stopped, with rescue operations still ongoing.
Images from the scene depict the nursing home surrounded by floodwaters, with swift currents and water levels exceeding car doors and almost reaching window sills. An elderly person clad in a green shirt was shown stranded in the nursing home, helplessly leaning out of a window and signaling for help, evoking feelings of distress.
According to public reports, 48 elderly individuals trapped in the nursing home have been rescued.
Regarding the casualties, the person in charge of the nursing home in Taishitun Town responded on the 29th by stating, “We cannot disclose information now, waiting for the relevant departments to provide a unified response.”
Government officials from Taishitun Town mentioned that the flooded nursing facility had been evacuated, but the “specific situation is unclear for now.”
Reported by CCTV News, at 6:44 a.m. on July 28, the Beijing Fire Rescue Headquarters received an alarm that the nursing home in Taishitun Town was surrounded by floodwaters, with individuals trapped inside. Rescue footage showed the nursing home being largely submerged during firefighting efforts.
The nursing home in Taishitun Town houses 80 beds, mainly catering to concentrated care for people under low-income, disabilities, orphans, and elderly individuals supported by social welfare. Public reports indicate that over seventy elderly residents resided in this nursing home.
“Post News” reported the account of a resident in Yongannan Community, Taishitun Town of Miyun District, Mrs. Hu, who stated that floodwaters from the Qinghe River and the village swept into their community, flooding the ground floor of residential buildings and washing away vehicles. The community experienced water and power outages on the 28th of July. She further mentioned their lack of sufficient food and water reserves, leaving them unable to venture outside even after the waters receded partially.
As per Beijing Daily, the average precipitation in the city reached 210.4 mm by 11 a.m. on July 29, with the highest recorded precipitation of 573.5 mm in Langfangyu, Miyun. Beijing’s annual average precipitation is around 600 mm, leading meteorological experts to compare the 573.5 mm to nearly a year’s worth of rainfall in Beijing.
After the torrential rains, on July 29, residents in Miyun District, Beijing, were seen cleaning up the aftermath of the flooding, with the devastation left behind by the floods.
Most small shops and warehouses in Miyun District, Beijing, were destroyed, filled with mud and broken glass. On the streets, a forklift was filmed lifting a flood-damaged car off the waterlogged road.
Reported by RFI, Ms. Zhai, a 33-year-old grocery store owner, described unprecedented losses, noting how the flood quickly knocked down the walls of her yard. At 172 cm tall herself, the floodwaters reached up to nearly her chest.
Another small business owner, Mr. Yang, mentioned his breakfast shop couldn’t escape the damage, with everything inside destroyed. His wife, in resignation, commented, “We can’t help but want to cry. We can only comfort ourselves, as long as everyone is safe.”
Severe flooding across multiple provinces and cities in mainland China has resulted in significant human casualties, with Beijing alone reporting at least 30 deaths due to the disaster. The Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan expressed its condolences, hoping for a minimal impact from the disaster.
On July 29, the Mainland Affairs Council released a statement on its official website, acknowledging the ongoing heavy rainfall and resulting floods and geological disasters in Eastern, Northern, and Northeastern regions of mainland China. The consecutive extreme weather events have caused major disasters, with 30 reported deaths in Beijing due to the flood. “Our government extends condolences to the relevant authorities in mainland China, praying for the deceased to rest in peace and the injured to recover soon.”