Deadly Floods Devastate Beijing: 34 Dead, Thousands Evacuated

Torrential rains have wreaked havoc across northern China, claiming at least 34 lives and forcing the evacuation of over 80,000 residents in Beijing alone, state media reported on July 29, 2025. The heaviest downpours struck the capital’s Miyun district, where 28 fatalities were recorded, with an additional two deaths in Yanqing district, according to Xinhua News Agency, citing Beijing’s municipal flood control headquarters. In neighboring Hebei province, a landslide in Luanping county killed four people, with eight others still missing, as reported by CCTV.

Beijing authorities initiated a top-level emergency response on Monday evening, ordering residents to remain indoors, closing schools, halting construction, and suspending outdoor tourism activities. The storms, which began over the weekend, dumped an average of 16 centimeters of rain across Beijing by Tuesday midnight, with some Miyun towns recording up to 54 centimeters, the city reported. More than 130 villages lost power, and dozens of roads were closed, isolating communities, according to Beijing Daily.

In Miyun, floodwaters swept away vehicles and toppled power poles, while mudslides disrupted communication lines. The Miyun Reservoir, at its highest level since its construction in 1959, prompted authorities to release water, raising concerns about downstream river levels. In Taishitun, a town 100 kilometers northeast of central Beijing, streets were inundated, and uprooted trees littered the area, with mud marking building walls, the Associated Press noted.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Monday, called for “all-out” search and rescue efforts to minimize casualties and urged officials to prepare for worst-case scenarios, AFP reported. Firefighters rescued 48 people from an elderly care center in Mujiayu, CCTV stated. A local resident in Miyun described to AFP watching floodwaters sweep away cars outside his apartment, while Taishitun shop owner Zhuang Zhelin told the Associated Press the floods arrived “so fast and suddenly,” overwhelming his property.

In Hebei’s Luanping county, a resident told Beijing News that downed communications left him unable to contact relatives. The central government allocated 50 million yuan (approximately $7 million) to aid affected cities, including Chengde, Baoding, and Zhangjiakou, and dispatched emergency response teams, Xinhua reported. An additional 10,000 people were evacuated from Tianjin’s Jizhou district.

The relentless rainfall, expected to continue through Tuesday with up to 30 centimeters forecast in some areas, has heightened fears of further flooding and landslides. China’s Premier Li Qiang emphasized the “serious casualties” in Miyun and urged intensified rescue operations, according to Xinhua. Northern China, including Beijing, faced severe flooding in 2023, underscoring the region’s vulnerability to extreme weather events.