Tragedy strikes as 31 elderly die in Beijing nursing home floods

In Beijing, China, a severe weather event led to catastrophic flooding that affected the Miyun district, one of the hardest-hit areas. During this intense storm, which occurred earlier in the week, a nursing home known as the Taishitun Town Elderly Care Center became filled with rising floodwaters. On the day of the incident, 77 individuals were present in the building, which included both residents and staff members. Tragically, reports confirm that 31 residents lost their lives as a result of the flooding incident. The storms that caused the flooding brought an extraordinary amount of rain, nearly equivalent to a full year’s precipitation, within a matter of days. Many residents of the nursing home, including those with disabilities, found themselves trapped and unable to evacuate safely. Local officials issued an apology for the tragedy, acknowledging that the care center, once considered safe due to its central location within the town, had not been adequately included in disaster preparedness plans. Rescue efforts were underway as soon as the flooding began, with state media broadcasting scenes of rescuers using boats to extract individuals from windows of the center. However, the coverage neglected to mention the fatalities at that time, leading to growing frustration among the community. This response was indicative of the existing protocols around information control in China, which have become stricter under Xi Jinping's leadership. Rescuers were eventually able to save 48 residents from the flooding, but the overwhelming storm impacts created a tragic toll. Across the region, the death count rose as additional reports surfaced. Authorities reported 44 deaths within Beijing due to the storm, while neighboring Hebei province documented eight deaths, contributing to a total of 70 confirmed fatalities. The devastation extended beyond the elder care center, as ten people lost their lives in northern Shanxi province when a minibus carrying farm workers was swept away by floodwaters. The ongoing search and rescue operations indicate that efforts to assist those impacted by the disaster will need to continue in the days following the initial events.