At least 30 people have died in Beijing after extreme weather caused a year’s worth of rain to fall in less than a week, leading to deadly floods and widespread damage. The heavy rains forced more than 80,000 people to evacuate, destroyed roads, and cut off power and communications in over 130 villages.
The rainfall began on July 23 and reached its peak on Monday, severely affecting Beijing and nearby areas. The worst-hit region was Miyun, a district near the Great Wall, where at least 28 people lost their lives. Two other deaths were reported in the district of Yanqing. Many areas in the north, especially mountainous zones, became disaster zones with collapsed bridges, overturned vehicles, and broken pipelines.
Locals described the flooding as sudden and overwhelming. Zhai, a grocery store owner in Miyun, said the water rose to 1.5 meters and stayed for hours, ruining all her food and drink supplies. Nearby, a restaurant owner, Liu, was devastated as her furniture and appliances were submerged and likely destroyed. Her husband estimated the damage to be over 100,000 yuan ($14,000).
Heavy rain reached up to 573.5 mm (22.6 inches) in Miyun, nearly the same amount Beijing usually receives in an entire year. In Huairou, another district, 95.3 mm of rain fell in just one hour, causing massive flash floods. Experts described this level of rain as “extremely destructive,” with some regions receiving 80–90% of their annual rainfall in only a few days.
The disaster also disrupted hundreds of flights and train services, pushing emergency services to their limits and raising concerns about Beijing’s ability to manage extreme weather events in the future.
In response to the tragedy, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences to the people of China. In a message shared on social media, he said, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives and displacement caused by the recent torrential rains and landslides in China.”
PM Shehbaz added that Pakistan recently experienced similar disasters and fully understands the pain and struggle faced by Chinese families. He expressed confidence in China’s ability to recover, praising the unity and resilience of the Chinese people under President Xi Jinping’s leadership.
He concluded by saying that Pakistan stands firmly with China in this difficult time, describing the bond between the two nations as one of “iron-clad brotherhood.”
