Deadly floods engulf Beijing suburbs

Heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding and landslides in Beijing's outskirts, resulting in 30 fatalities and extensive damage.

A man cleans mud in front of a supermarket. (AP/AFP)

Floodwaters inundated a vast area in Miyun district, northeast of Beijing, on 29/7.

Severe flooding impacted northern China, including Beijing, Hebei, Jilin, and Shandong provinces. A landslide in Luanping county, Hebei province, on 28/7, killed 4 people and left 8 missing.

According to Xinhua, rain began falling in the suburban districts of Miyun and Yanqing from midday on 26/7. By the night of 28/7, the death toll in Beijing reached 30, primarily in Miyun. Over 80,000 people were evacuated, including 17,000 in Miyun, and power was lost in over 130 villages.

Residents carry belongings as they evacuate along a muddy road. (AP/AFP)

Rescue workers evacuated residents in Taishitun township, Miyun county, approximately 100 km northeast of central Beijing.

"This is a once-in-a-century flood," said 52-year-old Pang, a Taishitun resident.

Pointing to a refrigerator lying on its side, swept 500 meters from his home, he added, "We've never seen flooding like this here."

A man transported an elderly woman on an electric scooter through flooded areas in Miyun county.

Elsewhere, villagers waded through piles of wrecked cars. Zhao, a local woman, said her home flooded early on 28/7.

"It was a mess, the mud was this thick," the 52-year-old Zhao said, gesturing with her hand. "My mother and I tried to shovel it out, but we couldn't keep up."

"We didn't know what to do, so we grabbed some clothes and sought higher ground," she added.

Upon returning, their refrigerator, washing machine, and kitchen appliances were coated in mud.

Mud covered the walls, floors, furniture, and belongings in an office.

A road in Miyun district was swallowed by the overflowing river.

A man cleans mud in front of a supermarket. (AP/AFP)

Locals and sanitation workers used chainsaws and excavators to clear uprooted and broken trees.

Authorities released water from a reservoir in Miyun district, where water levels reached their highest point since its construction in 1959.

Beijing authorities issued the highest emergency response level from 8 pm on 28/7, urging residents to stay home, closing schools and construction sites, and suspending outdoor tourism and other activities until the warning was lifted.

Chinese soldiers marched along a flood-damaged road to rescue villagers trapped in the mountains of Miyun.

Chinese President Xi Jinping directed officials to plan for the worst-case scenario and urgently evacuate residents in flood-threatened areas. Officials warned that rain could continue until 30/7.