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. Nine deaths were also reported elsewhere in northern China.
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, also called for efforts to minimize casualties, China Daily reported on Wednesday.
Due to Typhoon Doksuri, which caused extreme precipitation in northern China and areas along the Yellow and Huaihe rivers and other places, flooding and geological disasters were triggered and inflicted major casualties in areas such as Beijing and Hebei province.
He asked all areas to make every effort to search for and rescue missing or trapped people, ensure proper treatment of those injured and provide comfort to the families of the victims.
The affected individuals should be properly resettled, and damaged infrastructure such as for transportation, communication and electricity should be repaired as soon as possible in order to restore regular production and daily life, he said.
Xi emphasized that the nation is currently undergoing a critical period in flood control.
The president asked the authorities to reinforce monitoring, forecasting and early warning, enhance inspection duty, focus on critical parts and places for flood control, fully carry out flood control measures with precision, and make every effort to protect lives and property and secure social stability.
The instruction came as what is left of Typhoon Doksuri continued to dump rain on many parts of northern China on Tuesday, though the rain has been decreasing in its intensity.
According to CNN, 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.
MNA/PR