At least 31 elderly residents have died in a nursing home on the outskirts of Beijing due to severe flooding, according to local authorities. Most of the victims were immobile and unable to evacuate.
The incident occurred in the Miyun District, where floodwaters rose to chest height. Rescue teams arrived at the facility, but a video footage shows emergency workers struggling to reach those trapped inside. Chinese media reports that many residents were physically incapable of moving without assistance.
The facility, located in Taishitun town, primarily housed severely disabled, low-income, and socially supported elderly individuals. At the time of the flood, 77 people were living there; about 40 were reportedly trapped when water levels surged to nearly 2 meters (6 feet).
Local officials have acknowledged failures in emergency preparedness. “For a long time, this part of the city was considered safe, so we had no plans to relocate it. This incident proves there were gaps in our emergency planning,” one official said, calling the tragedy a “painful lesson” and a “warning.”
The death toll from recent flooding in Beijing now stands at 44. In neighboring Hebei Province, 16 more people have died due to torrential rain, including 8 in Chengde city, where 18 others remain missing.
China has experienced extreme weather throughout the summer, from record-breaking heatwaves in the east to devastating floods in the southwest. While summer flooding is common—Beijing recorded 190 mm of rain in a single day in July 2012, killing 79 people—the scale and impact this year have been especially severe.
