Nursing home flood deaths expose preparedness gaps in Beijing district

An official from Beijing's Miyun district cited gaps in the district's evacuation plan for the 31 nursing home casualties that resulted from the flooding that recently devastated the area.

Heavy rainstorms battered the district from July 23 to 29, leaving 37 people dead as of noon Thursday, according to the local authorities during a news briefing.

Taishitun township, upstream of the Miyun Reservoir, was among the hardest-hit areas.

On Monday morning, the Taishitun Elderly Care Center was severely flooded. Its 69 residents, along with eight staff members, were inside at the time, according to Yu Weiguo, Miyun's Party secretary, at the briefing.

Rescue teams responded quickly, but floodwaters delayed entry until around 10 am. Rescue efforts continued into the following day, when multiple fatalities were confirmed.

The official explained that the districts had evacuated over 16,000 people from 205 high-risk villages ahead of the flood season in response to weather alerts. The area where the elderly care center is located had long been considered safe and was not included in the evacuation plan. "This shows there were gaps in our preparedness," Yu said.

"These elderly people were around the same age as my parents, yet they lost their lives due to the disaster. We are very saddened and deeply grieved. Here, we extend our condolences to all the victims and our sympathies to their families," he said.

The flooding has affected over 113,000 residents in the district, and damaged more than 31,000 houses, 6,994 vehicles, and 10 roads. Power facilities in 105 villages were affected, and 684 communication stations went offline.

Rescue, relief, and reconstruction efforts remain ongoing in the district.