China on Wednesday dispatched thousands of rescue workers to Zhuozhou, a flooded city of over 600,000 residents southwest of Beijing, as the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri continued to wreak havoc on swathes of a region twice the size of Paris. Hebei province, which borders Beijing, has borne the brunt of the worst storms to hit northern China in over a decade. According to official figures, at least 20 people have been killed in the region in days. President Xi Jinping urged “every effort” to rescue those “lost or trapped.” State media said the government has allocated 110 million yuan ($15.4 million) for disaster relief work.
Floods and landslides have paralyzed traffic and forced airports and schools to shut down, leaving millions without power. At least 13,000 flights have been delayed or canceled, and many subway lines and trains run on limited service.
The authorities have launched A massive rescue operation to clear roads, rescue people and deliver food and medicine to hard-hit areas. Rescuers have been seen rowing inflatable rafts through waterlogged neighborhoods and locals clinging to scaffolding awaiting help. In the city of Handan in Hebei, floodwaters reached four stories high. An online form on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, was set up to enable people to request assistance from emergency services.
The severity of the rain took the capital by surprise, with raging waters coursing down streets, sweeping away cars, and destroying bridges. According to state media, the Yongding River has swollen to dangerous levels, flooding villages and threatening the lives of thousands of people. In the western suburbs of Mentougou and Fangshan, a team from AFP saw a park that had been completely submerged, with tons of rubbish washed away by torrential rains stuck near a bridge.
More rain is forecast for parts of the country over the next few days. China is on alert for the arrival of Typhoon Khanun, which could reach the nation’s eastern coast later this week. The sixth storm of the year, Khanun is packing sustained winds up to 125 kilometers (77 miles) per hour.
Zhuozhou, situated just over 100 kilometers from Beijing, was hardest hit by the rains. On Tuesday, its public security bureau said the city faced water shortages and a power outage. It urgently needed boats, rafts, life jackets, and emergency supplies for rescue work.
One woman, Leslie Zhang, described how she spent two days and nights trapped with her colleagues in a company building in the city. An online form allowing people to seek help from emergency agencies received over 1,200 requests by Wednesday afternoon.
Hundreds of volunteers are also being sent to hard-hit areas to help clean up the damage and evacuate affected people. The government has warned that a further flood threat is imminent, with heavy downpours and strong winds expected to hit the region for the rest of this week.
