Beijing announces recovery plan after floods leave 44 dead, 300,000 affected

Beijing has unveiled a sweeping post-disaster recovery plan after devastating floods left 44 people dead and more than 300,000 people affected, a top city official said on Thursday.

Xia Linmao, executive deputy mayor, outlined a five-point strategy aimed at restoring damaged infrastructure, supporting victims' families, and preventing future disasters. "We must speed up repairs of damaged houses to ensure people can safely and quickly return to their villages and homes," Xia said at a news briefing.

Beijing is accelerating the restoration of damaged roads, power, water, and communication facilities, aiming to complete this by Saturday, Xia said.

Of the 424 rural roads cut off, 364 have been reopened. "We aim to restore all main roads by today (Thursday). All affected villages now have emergency water supplies," he said.

To prevent secondary disasters, the city will conduct thorough inspections of damaged mountains, rivers, and other critical sites. Environmental clean-up will be strengthened to avoid post-flood disease outbreaks, Xia said.

He pledged full support for displaced families, including psychological counseling and guaranteed supplies of daily necessities. He also called for urgent action to safeguard vulnerable groups and resume agricultural activity during the current planting window to reduce crop losses.

On post-disaster reconstruction, Xia said a comprehensive plan will be developed with the goal of basic recovery within one year and full improvement in three years, prioritizing the protection of people's lives and property.

"Local governments lack adequate early warning systems for extreme weather, and disaster prevention plans are incomplete," Xia admitted, vowing to strengthen all prevention, mitigation, and relief efforts.