Beijing held a press conference on flood prevention and disaster relief on the 31st. As of 12:00 PM Beijing time on July 31st, 44 people had died and nine were missing due to the disaster. Thirty-one people died at the Taishitun Town Elderly Care Center in Miyun District. Four of the missing were village Party branch secretaries working on the front lines of rescue efforts. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing.
According to China News Service, Beijing’s Executive Vice Mayor Xia Linmao stated that the flood disaster affected over 300,000 people and damaged 24,000 houses.
Yu Weiguo, Secretary of the Miyun District Committee of Beijing, stated that preliminary statistics show that 162 villages in 17 towns were affected, with over 31,000 houses damaged, 6,994 vehicles damaged, 10 roads damaged, power facilities in 105 villages damaged, and 684 communication base stations out of service. Approximately 113,000 residents were affected, with 37 deaths, including 31 at the Taishitun Town Elderly Care Center.
Yu Weiguo stated that the nursing home, located in Taishitun Town, upstream of the Miyun Reservoir, had a total of 77 residents that day, including 8 staff members. Of the 69 residents, 55 were disabled or semi-disabled. On the morning of the 28th, floodwaters rushed into the street, rapidly submerging it, with the deepest reaching 2 meters.
After receiving the alarm, firefighters quickly dispatched and arrived near the nursing home around 7:00 a.m., but the turbulent water made entry difficult. After concerted efforts, trapped residents were rescued around 10:00 a.m., and search and rescue efforts continued into the next day, during which time several elderly residents were found dead.
