At Least Four Dead, Eight Missing as Torrential Rains Trigger Flooding in Northern China

At least four people have died and eight remain missing following days of relentless rainfall that has engulfed northern China, triggering widespread flooding, landslides, and mass evacuations, according to state media reports.

Authorities have issued top-tier flood warnings and the second-highest alert level for rainstorms in Beijing and surrounding provinces, with the downpour forecast to continue through Tuesday morning.

In Hebei Province, which encircles the capital, a landslide near the city of Chengde claimed the lives of four people on Monday. Eight others remain unaccounted for, said state broadcaster CCTV.

The country’s Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched a disaster response team to the region, describing the flooding as “severe and rapidly escalating.”

The flooding adds to a mounting toll in Hebei, where two additional fatalities were reported over the weekend due to rain-related disasters.

In Fuping County, more than 4,600 residents were evacuated as water levels surged, submerging homes and farmlands.

Meanwhile, in Shanxi Province, which borders Hebei, a bus accident amid heavy rain left 13 passengers missing and one person rescued, local media confirmed.

The rains have already disrupted rail services and caused power outages in some rural areas, drawing comparisons to the 2023 deluge in Henan Province, which killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands.

China’s central government has mobilized disaster response teams, reinforcing embankments and monitoring river levels. Emergency shelters have been set up in flood-prone areas, and military personnel have been deployed for search-and-rescue efforts.