2 dead, over 100,000 evacuated as heavy rains ravage China
(Update 1: Changes headline, lede, adds detail throughout)
Beijing, Jul 31 (EFE).- At least two people have died and over 100,000 were evacuated in Beijing and other northern Chinese regions Monday as heavy rains battered the area prompting authorities to issue the highest alert level.
Typhoon Doksuri, which made landfall Friday morning off the coast of Jinjiang city in the southeastern province of Fujian, was advancing through central and northern China, state news agency Xinhua reported.
The typhoon dumped an average rainfall in Beijing of 157.8 mm prompting Meteorological authorities in the capital to maintain a red alert for rainstorms on Monday.
In a village in the suburban district of Fangshan, over 538 mm of rainwater triggered a landslide that forced the evacuation of over 10,000 residents, according to China’s National Meteorological Center.
The Beijing district of Mentougou, which recorded an average rainfall of 320 mm that caused the overflow of a river that runs through the area, evacuated 5,000 residents and reported two deaths due to flooding on Monday afternoon.
The most affected areas in the capital were the western, southern and urban regions, where over 45,000 resident were evacuated and over 200 bus lines and several train routes in suburban areas were suspended.
In Hebei province, meteorological authorities forecast that cumulative rainfall was likely to exceed 250 mm in some areas.
Affected cities in Hebei include Zhangjiakou, Chengde, Tangshan, Baoding, Xiong’an New Area, Langfang and the provincial capital Shijiazhuang.
The city of Baoding has been hit hard by the powerful floods, leading to the evacuation of more than 54,890 people.
The flood risk level in northern Baoding, where one person remains missing after a bridge collapsed on Sunday, reached level II, the second highest.
Doksuri became the strongest typhoon to hit China this year and the second strongest to hit Fujian since records exist, the Global Times reported.
Last week, at least one person died and thousands of homes were without power as the typhoon passed through Taiwan, bringing strong winds and rain to the south and east of the island.
Meanwhile, a new typhoon, Khanun, is approaching the Philippines, following a similar path to Doksuri.
Khanun has gained force as it moves towards the northern waters of the archipelago, prompting concern in the Philippines where typhoon Doksuri left at least 25 people dead and more than 300,000 people affected.EFE
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