Authorities in Miyun, a mountainous district in northeastern Beijing, have intensified efforts to repair damaged road and riverbank following severe flooding caused by torrential rain.
The latest round of heavy rainstorms has left 30 people dead in Beijing, with 28 fatalities reported in Miyun, as of midnight Monday, the Beijing municipal flood control headquarters said Tuesday.
Bulaotun Town in Miyun is located 120 kilometers from downtown Beijing. Heavy rainfall has led to a rapid rise in water levels of a local river, creating two significant gaps in the Miyun section of National Highway 234, the only traffic route connecting the town to surrounding areas.
With the national highway severely damaged, it has become challenging for large rescue equipment and supplies to reach the town.
In response, over 50 repair workers from local highway maintenance and construction groups have rushed to the scene to expedite road repairs.
After working tirelessly on Sunday, the workers managed to repair approximately 20 to 30 meters of the highway by laying gabions.
The use of gabions, which are permeable and help mitigate the impact of water flow on the cofferdam, has proven effective in blocking water, according to the onsite workers.
Following 40 hours of intensive work and filling the gaps with nearly 10,000 cubic meters of gravel and stones, the gap on the eastern side of the riverbank had been closed by Monday evening, facilitating conditions for subsequent emergency repair.
The Miyun section of National Highway 234 is expected to be reopened by Tuesday night if the weather conditions remain favorable and the repair proceeds as planned, according to the rescuers.
The water level of Chaohe River in Miyun has also risen significantly after the heavy rainfall, causing some embankments to become unstable.
In response, a detachment of the Armed Police Force sent over 200 soldiers to the site on Monday night, equipped with more than 60 pieces of heavy machinery. Upon arrival, they immediately began reinforcing the embankments.
"The roadbed at this side of the Chaohe River Bridge has suffered extensive damage. We are collaborating with local authorities to reinforce the damaged roadbed with large-scale machinery such as excavators, loaders and dump trucks," said Xu Chang, one of the rescue soldiers.
Emergency repair of damaged highway, riverbank well underway following heavy rain
