An excavator removes debris and litter from a bridge in Shuiyuzui Village in flood-hit Mentougou District, Beijing, capital of China, Aug 1, 2023. (XINHUA / PHOTO)
BEIJING / SHIJIAZHUANG – Beijing has been speeding up the restoration of key roads damaged in flood-hit areas, such as the districts of Fangshan and Mentougou, since Thursday, to assist with rescue and relief efforts.
Chinese authorities had launched massive rescue and relief efforts in response to typhoon-induced torrential rains. Over the past few days, Beijing has seen the heaviest rainfall since records began 140 years ago, leaving 11 dead in the city.
The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has dispatched 10 teams to help the rescue and relief work in flood-hit regions in north and northeast China, according to an official meeting on Saturday
A total of 93 highways above the county level in Beijing have been damaged by flooding, all of which are located in the suburbs.
Local authorities said the restoration work of damaged roads in Beijing is still facing great pressure. About 840 rural roads and three urban roads have also been damaged by floodwater.
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However, with manpower and large machinery reinforcements, construction around the clock, and favorable factors such as better weather, the road restoration work continues to make progress.
Meanwhile, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has dispatched 10 teams to help the rescue and relief work in flood-hit regions in north and northeast China, according to an official meeting on Saturday.
The meeting was held by the office of the headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management, joined by China Meteorological Administration, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Natural Resources and provincial-level flood control offices.
The meeting analyzed the situation of flood and geological disasters in north and northeast China, as well as the Typhoon Khanun, and arranged rescue and relief work in key regions.
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The 10 working teams are assisting local authorities in flood control and rescue in Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin, Jilin and Heilongjiang, the office of the headquarters said.
The Ministry of Emergency Management has also assigned professional rescue teams to the worst-affected areas.
Also, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters maintained the Level-II emergency response in Tianjin and Hebei, and Level-III in Beijing, Jilin and Heilongjiang.
China has a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe.
READ MORE: 11 dead, 27 missing in rainstorms in Beijing
Also on Saturday, ten people have been killed and 18 remain missing after heavy rain battered the city of Baoding in north China's Hebei province, local authorities said.
All the districts and counties in Baoding have suffered floods due to the impact of Typhoon Doksuri over the past few days, with an average precipitation of 353.1 mm.
As of 12 am Saturday, over 1.1 million people have been affected in Baoding, with 627,000 people evacuated, according to the municipal flood control and drought relief headquarters.