(Beijing) The Beijing authorities admitted on Thursday that they were insufficiently prepared to face the torrential rains that hit the city, and which left 44 dead and nine missing according to a final report.
Part of northern China, especially the capital, has been affected in recent days by deadly floods which have forced tens of thousands of inhabitants to flee their home.
According to the latest assessment established on Thursday, “44 people died and nine missing,” said at a press conference Xia Linmao, a senior municipality.
“Between July 23 and 29, Beijing suffered extreme precipitation,” he added, adding that they had caused “important human losses”.
PHOTO ZHANG CHENLIN, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rescuers evacuate a blocked villagers, crossing an area damaged by floods, in the Huairou district.
Thirty and one death were notably recorded in an establishment for the elderly in the municipality of Taishitun, in the north of Beijing, said Xia.
“Painful lesson”
A previous assessment reported 30 dead in the Chinese capital, the affected areas being mainly located in the semi-rural area, about a hundred kilometers from the city center.
“On behalf of the Party Municipal Committee [communiste] And from the government of the city, I want to express my deep sadness for those who have unfortunately lost their lives, as well as my sincere condolences to their loved ones, “said Xia Linmao.
He promised that “deep lessons” will be taken from this disaster.
Our ability to provide and alert in the event of extreme weather conditions is insufficient, and the prevention and attenuation plans of disasters have not been fully developed.
Xia Linmao, senior manager of the Beijing municipality
An observation shared by another Beijing leader present at this press conference.
“Our emergency plans included flaws. Our understanding of extreme meteorological phenomena is insufficient, “said Yu Weiguo, head of the Chinese Communist Party in the hard -hit district of Miyun.
PHOTO PEDRO PARDO, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
The affected areas are mainly located in the semi-rural area, about a hundred kilometers from the city center.
“This painful lesson woke us up: placing the people in the foreground, human life above all, is not just a slogan,” he continued.
“We must concretely translate this into effective measures,” he concluded.
“Never seen”
Dozens of roads have been closed and several villages were deprived of electricity after strong precipitation which touched Beijing and its neighboring provinces.
Residents of the most affected areas described to AFP that they were surprised by the rise of waters, which quickly overwhelmed their homes.
“I have never seen this before in 40 years of life. And those who are 80 or 90 years old either, ”said Hu Yuefang, a village in the Huairou district, in the north of Beijing.
PHOTO PEDRO PARDO, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Hu Yuefang, a village in the Huairou district, points to the window by which his family had to go out to escape the floods.
Natural disasters are common in China, especially during the summer, when certain regions are overwhelmed by torrential rains while others are in the grip of drought.
China is the world’s largest transmitter of greenhouse gas which, according to scientists, accelerate climate change and make extreme meteorological events more frequent and intense.
The Asian giant also presents itself as a world leader in renewable energies and aims for carbon neutrality by 2060.
