Rescue forces were urgently mobilized to protect the lives and property of the residents as persistent heavy rainfall triggered disasters across multiple villages in Beijing's three suburban districts of Miyun, Huairou and Yanqing.
Between 12:00 on Saturday and 02:00 on Sunday, Miyun District recorded an average rainfall of 73.5 millimeters, with the heaviest precipitation reaching 315.3 millimeters at Huangtuliang Station. This intense and localized downpour triggered flash floods -- disrupting access to roads, power supplies and communication networks in several villages.
Several rescue teams advanced into the disaster-hit areas, with one team successfully reaching Fengjiayu Town on Sunday morning.
"As the flood washed away the roads, we could only proceed on foot and conduct surveys until about 02:00 in the morning. We assessed the damage in the villages we could reach, and for those whose roads were severely damaged and inaccessible, we utilized satellite phones to ensure that the villagers are safe," said Wei Xiaodong, a member from Beijing Miyun Fire and Rescue Brigade.
The eighth Detachment of the Beijing Armed Police Corps responded swiftly by transporting rescue boats and various emergency supplies to Fengjiayu Town to conduct rescue operations.
"This is the situation at Baihe River Bridge now. Currently, there is a lot of garbage and floodwaters at the Baihe River Bridge coming down from upstream. From the garbage, we can see that there are vehicles and some daily necessities, which means that many houses upstream have been washed away and vehicles have been swept downstream. This proves that the current situation is extremely urgent. We are in contact with the front line, ready to provide emergency reinforcements at any time," said Wang Xiqing, a member from the detachment.
Sihetang Village in Miyun, one of the worst-affected areas, currently has been cut off from water, electricity, and internet services, with several tourists stranded. As the water receded and road access was progressively restored, fire rescue personnel helped evacuate the tourists on Sunday afternoon.
"As the floodwaters began to recede in the afternoon, the command center decided to deploy excavators to open up a rescue passage. This section of the road was almost repaired and was already passable, so I led the firefighters to evacuate the trapped people," said Zhan Wulin, chief of the combat training department of Beijing Miyun Fire and Rescue Brigade.
In addition to Miyun District, several villages in Huairou District were also lashed by the torrential rains. The third mobile detachment of the People's Armed Police Force Beijing Corps was deployed in batches overnight to assist the hardest-hit villages.
With roads blocked by floodwaters and silt, vehicles were unable to pass, forcing soldiers to proceed on foot. They pressed forward to reach the affected areas as quickly as possible to evacuate trapped residents.
As of 16:30 Sunday, power supply had been restored in 16 of the 118 affected villages across Huairou, Miyun, and Yanqing districts, while seven out of the 19 flood-damaged road sections were repaired.
Relief efforts underway as torrential rain batter districts of Beijing
Relief efforts underway as torrential rain batter districts of Beijing
Relief efforts underway as torrential rain batter districts of Beijing
