Downpours in Beijing cause flooding and break a record of at least 140 years

The remains of the typhoon Doksuri have hit the capital of Chinawhich recorded its heaviest rains in at least 140 years.

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The city received 744.8 millimeters (29.3 inches) of rain between Saturday and Wednesday morning, the city said Wednesday. Beijing Meteorological Bureau.

Beijing and the neighboring province of Hebei there have been severe floods, in which the water has reached dangerous levels. Rains in and around the capital destroyed roads, caused power outages and ruptured drinking water pipes. Several rivers around the capital overflowedflooded cars and dragged vehicles onto pedestrian bridges.

Rescue teams fanned out to cities in the north of the country on Wednesday as government workers began repairs.

One of the most affected areas was Zhuozhou, a small city in Hebei province that borders southwest of Beijing. In a message Tuesday night on the social network Weibothe local police requested lamps to assist with the rescue efforts.

Rescuers walked the flooded city in rubber boats and evacuating people trapped in their homes without running water, gas or electricity since Tuesday afternoon.

“I didn’t think it was that serious, I thought it would just be a bit of water and it would go back”said wang huiying, 54 years old. The woman spent the night on the third floor of her building as the water entered the first floor, where her steam bun shop was located. All her machinery was now under water.

It was unknown how many people had been trapped in flooded areas in the city and nearby towns. Rescuers from other provinces came to the town to help with evacuations.

“We have to take advantage of every second, every minute to save people,” said zhong hongjun48, who led a rescue team in the coastal province of Jiangsu. zhong He said that he had been working since two in the morning, when they arrived, and hoped to continue until evening. His team had rescued about 200 people so far. “Many of the people we saved were elderly and children.”

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water in the county Gu’an of Hebei, which borders on Zhuozhouarrived on Wednesday in the middle of a pole with a surveillance camera.

liu jiwen58 years old and resident of the county of Gu’anwas evacuated from his town on Tuesday night. “We can not do anything. It’s a natural disaster”said.

Two other people were trying to cross flooded areas to rescue a family member trapped in a nearby town.

Almost 850,000 people have been displaced, according to local authorities in Hebei province.

The number of confirmed deaths from downpours in Beijing and surroundings rose to 21 on Wednesday after the body of a rescue worker was found. Wang Hong-chun, 41, was with other rescuers in a rubber boat that capsized in a fast-flowing river. Four of his companions survived.

at least 26 people they were still missing.

The previous rainfall record was set in 1891, according to the Beijing Meteorological Bureau on his official account at Weibo, when 609 millimeters (24 in) of rain was recorded. The first precise records made with machines date from 1883.

The record rains of Doksuri, already downgraded to a typhoon, might not be the last. The typhoon was expected khanunwhich was raging in Japan on Wednesday, headed towards China this week. The powerful storm, with surface winds of up to 180 kilometers per hour (111 miles per hour), could also hit Taiwan before reaching China.

Thousands of people were evacuated to shelters in schools and other public buildings in the suburbs of Beijing and nearby cities. The central government allocated 44 million yuan (6.1 million dollars) for disaster relief in the affected provinces.

The severity of the flooding took the Chinese capital by surprise. Beijing It usually has dry summers, although this year it experienced some record hot days.

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.