33 dead,18 missing amid severe floods in Beijing, Sichuan province of China

The death toll has climbed to 33 while 18 people remain missing after Beijing experienced its most severe rainfall on record, according to official reports on Wednesday.

The unprecedented downpour has wreaked havoc on China's capital over recent weeks, causing extensive damage to infrastructure and inundating vast stretches of suburban and surrounding areas.

Tragedy struck the southwestern Sichuan province as well, where floods claimed the lives of seven individuals on Wednesday, as reported by local media while authorities in Beijing revealed that recent adverse weather conditions led to the death of 33 people, primarily due to flooding and structural collapses. 

This figure is nearly three times higher than the count provided by officials last week, AFP reported.

Xia Linmao, Beijing's vice-mayor, expressed heartfelt condolences during a press conference, as conveyed by Chinese broadcaster CCTV, saying, "I extend my deepest sympathies to those who lost their lives and the unfortunate victims."

Across northern China, scores of lives have been lost due to flooding, with Beijing officials attributing 147 deaths or disappearances last month to natural calamities. Among these, 142 were directly linked to floods or geological upheavals, as stated by China's Ministry of Emergency Management.

In the neighbouring Hebei province, 15 fatalities were reported alongside 22 missing individuals. Similarly, in the northeastern Jilin region, 14 people lost their lives, with one person still unaccounted for as of Sunday. 

Further north in Heilongjiang, local media highlighted that numerous rivers had seen water levels rise beyond "warning markers" in recent days.

Zheng Xiaokang, a police officer from Jiangxi village in Heilongjiang, expressed his lingering apprehensions, stating to the Xinhua News Agency, "The memory of the persistent downpour and rising river water still instils fear. The consequences would have been catastrophic had we not promptly evacuated the villagers."

Recent weeks have witnessed millions of individuals globally facing extreme weather patterns and prolonged heatwaves. Scientists assert that these events are exacerbated by the effects of climate change.

Meanwhile, a tragic incident unfolded in Sichuan on Wednesday, resulting in the loss of seven lives and the rescue of four individuals from surging waters.

The incident occurred around 10am near a southwestern embankment of the provincial capital Chengdu, where an unexpected rush of water swept away more than 10 people, reportedly tourists visiting a popular site.

A video shared by CCTV depicted harrowing scenes of individuals struggling against a powerful torrent, while meteorological authorities in the nearby city of Qionglai issued a yellow rain warning.

As the region grapples with these challenges, the need for coordinated efforts in search and rescue remains paramount.