Beijing Floods: 44 Dead, 9 Missing As Torrential Rains Wreak Havoc

<p>Beijing, Jul 31 (PTI) At least 44 people were killed and nine missing in rain-triggered floods over the past week in Beijing, local officials said on Thursday.</p>
<p>Officials in Beijing have launched all-out disaster relief and rescue operations in the last four days after a fresh spell of intense rainstorm damaged roads, disrupted power supply, and prompted mass evacuations.</p>
<p>Forty-four people were killed and nine others were listed missing, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted local officials as saying.</p>
<p>The deaths reportedly occurred in Beijing’s northern mountainous districts in Miyun and Yanqing, according to local authorities. Heavy rains started on Saturday.</p>
<p>Earlier on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping had ordered all-out efforts to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property in the fight against rain-triggered floods and geological disasters affecting some parts of China.</p>
<p>Across Beijing alone, more than 80,000 people have been relocated, while the rainstorms damaged 31 road sections and disrupted the power supply in 136 villages, according to official media reports.</p>
<p>China’s Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management on Tuesday allocated 350 million yuan (USD 48.94 million) to central government disaster relief funds to nine provincial-level regions, including Beijing, which were affected by floods.</p>
<p>Also on Tuesday, China’s National Development and Reform Commission said that it had allocated 200 million yuan (USD 28 million) to assist disaster relief efforts in Beijing, Xinhua reported.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><strong>(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)</strong></em></p>