China Flooding Kills Dozens, Including 31 Elderly Trapped in Care Home

BEIJING: Torrential rains and severe flooding across northern China have claimed dozens of lives, with officials confirming that 31 elderly residents perished after becoming trapped in a care facility in a suburb of Beijing.

The tragedy occurred at the Taishitun Town Elderly Care Center in Miyun District — about 90 minutes northeast of the capital — one of the hardest-hit areas during the recent extreme weather. In a press briefing on Thursday, Yu Weiguo, Communist Party Secretary for Miyun, acknowledged serious shortcomings in emergency preparedness.

“For a long time, this senior centre was considered safe and was not included in contingency plans,” Yu said. “This is a bitter lesson. It showed flaws in our emergency planning and an insufficient understanding of extreme weather risks.”

The facility housed 69 elderly residents, 55 of whom were disabled. Local media outlet Caixin reported that the center was situated on low-lying land near a river that burst its banks following unusually intense rainfall.

The deadly floods were triggered by storms that began a week ago, peaking on Monday. In just a few days, the hilly Miyun district received up to 573.5 mm (22.6 inches) of rainfall — nearly matching Beijing’s average annual precipitation of 600 mm (23.6 inches).

Water levels in the Miyun Reservoir, the largest in northern China, reached record highs. The Qingshui River, which flows through Taishitun into the reservoir, was flowing at 1,500 times its normal volume on Monday morning, when the disaster struck.

Survivor’s Story

According to Caixin, one 87-year-old woman miraculously escaped the floodwaters. “She doesn’t know where she got the strength, but she climbed onto the windowsill,” her daughter said. Tragically, her roommate was unable to escape and drowned.

Widespread Devastation

At a separate press conference, Beijing Deputy Mayor Xia Linmao said at least 44 people have died in the city over the past week, with more than 300,000 people affected. Preliminary assessments report damage to over 24,000 homes, 242 bridges, and 756 kilometers (470 miles) of roads.

In neighboring Hebei province, 16 deaths have been confirmed, including eight announced on Thursday. At least 31 people remain missing across Beijing and Hebei.

Meanwhile, in northern Shanxi province, officials reported the deaths of 10 people after a minibus carrying farm workers was swept away in floodwaters. Four others are still missing, three days after the vehicle disappeared.

Authorities across affected regions continue rescue and recovery operations, as communities grapple with the scale of destruction and loss.

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