Skip to main content

More rain forecast as Beijing mops up flood and comments

By Hilary Whiteman, CNN
July 25, 2012 -- Updated 1651 GMT (0051 HKT)
A woman cleans mud from her home in the Fangshan district of Beijing, China, July 25, 2012. Fangshan suffered some of the worst damage after the heaviest rain in 60 years. A woman cleans mud from her home in the Fangshan district of Beijing, China, July 25, 2012. Fangshan suffered some of the worst damage after the heaviest rain in 60 years.
HIDE CAPTION
Flooding in China
Flooding in China
china flood fangshan
Flooding in China
Flooding in China
Flooding in China
Flooding in China
Flooding in China
Flooding in China
Flooding in China
Flooding in China
Flooding in China
Flooding in China
Flooding in China
Flooding in China
Flooding in China
Flooding in China
Flooding in China
Flooding in Beijing
<<
<
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
>
>>
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • More rain forecast as Beijing cleans up after weekend downpour
  • Wednesday morning state media announces mayor, vice mayor have resigned
  • No official link was made between the resignations and flood fallout
  • Official death toll stands at 37 in Beijing, 111 across country

Hong Kong (CNN) -- More rain was forecast for flood-hit Beijing Wednesday, as residents continued clearing debris from the weekend deluge amid signs government censors were doing their own mop-up job on social media.

On Saturday, the heaviest rain in 60 years overwhelmed Beijing's drainage system, submerging cars, houses and provoking online anger over the government's lack of preparation and response.

Early Wednesday, it appeared that the disaster may have claimed the jobs of two of the city's most senior officials. However, neither resignation of the Beijing mayor or vice mayor were officially linked to the flood response.

Torrential rain kills at least 28 in southern Japan

In fact, observers said the resignations could be part of routine leadership reshuffle. Media reports said the city's legislature is now in session and its agenda includes appointments and dismissals.

However, soon after state media reported the resignation of Beijing mayor Guo Jinlong and vice mayor Ji Lin, comments about their departure on China's Sina Weibo were being blocked and deleted.

Beijing flood victims fume at response

Why did water flood Beijing?
Workers battle floods to rescue man
Anger over Beijing's flooding response
China flooding after heavy rains

State media gave no reason for the resignation of vice mayor Ji Lin. However, it said mayor Guo Jinlong had stepped down following his election as secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on July 3.

Wang Anshun, the vice Party chief of Beijing, has been appointed as vice mayor and acting mayor, Xinhua said.

The departure of two of Beijing's most senior officials comes just four days after the heaviest rain in 60 years submerged large parts of the Chinese capital.

Extreme weather: Get ready to see more of it, scientists say

On Sunday, state media put the official death toll in Beijing at 37. However, amid the barrage of online criticism about the government's response to the disaster, speculation swirled that the figure could be much higher.

Across the country, 111 were declared dead and 47 missing. Nine million people had been affected, state media said.

On Tuesday, spokeswoman Wang Hui told reporters that the government was not concealing the true death toll and that updated figures would be released as soon as they're known.

"I want to say I hope everyone will not speculate that the Beijing government is hiding the death toll," said Wang, according to the Associated Press.

"Doing the inspection work is not easy. Do believe us that we will speak the truth," she said. "If there are new figures we will immediately tell you."

In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, comments on Weibo exposed the anger many Beijingers felt about the inability of their city's infrastructure to cope with the downpour.

Devastating India floods leave 95 dead, millions homeless

The Beijing-based media group, Caixin wrote: "Why is this happening once and again? Year after year Beijing faces the same challenge, not even hosting the Olympics can provide a solution. That's how vulnerable our capital city can be."

Another user, chuntiangushi, wrote: "We can host the most luxurious Olympics and send satellites into space but can never seem to fix this drainage system. What a shame."

Donation again? I won't give them a penny. I'm already paying tax. What did you do with my money?
Weibo user

Others were angry that there were no emergency warnings, nor government shelters or special hotlines to offer flood advice.

Their ire was further stirred by an announcement Tuesday that Beijing would launch a "large" fundraising campaign, to which local citizens would be encouraged to donate for disaster relief.

"Donation again? I won't give them a penny. I'm already paying tax. What did you do with my money?" one user wrote. Another said: "Chinese government is wealthy enough to help Africa, the Philippines and North Korea but they don't have the money to help its own people get over the disaster."

Mourning, search for answers as Russian flooding death toll climbs

More rain was forecast to hit Beijing late Wednesday to Thursday morning, Xinhua reported, adding that more than 50 millimeters of rain could fall on the eastern parts of the city.

A yellow alert -- the third highest on a scale of five -- had been issued for the districts of Fangshan, Mentougou, Huairou, Pinggu and Shijingshan, as well as Miyun county, which are at risk of mudslides and cave-ins, Xinhua said.

Saturday's downpour caused chaos across Beijing, submerging 84 cars along a 900-meter stretch of the Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau expressway. The road reopened to traffic around midday Tuesday after hundreds of rescuers spent two days pulling the cars out.

A team of 10 divers worked for 10 hours straight to check the cars for occupants, Xinhua said, adding that they found three bodies.

Disaster relief efforts were still underway in the worst hit district of Fangshan Wednesday, according to state media Xinhua, which published images of upturned cars and mud-soaked homes.

Extreme weather and a changing climate

CNN's Shao Tian, Steven Jiang and Corinna Liu contributed to this report.

ADVERTISEMENT
Part of complete coverage on
Check out CNN's latest news, commentary, photos, and videos on our China special section.
May 16, 2013 -- Updated 0225 GMT (1025 HKT)
This month, "On China" host Kristie Lu Stout speaks to guests about China's contemporary art scene.
May 16, 2013 -- Updated 0107 GMT (0907 HKT)
Who is the world's third biggest smartphone maker? BlackBerry? Guess again. HTC? Nope. It's China's Huawei.
May 8, 2013 -- Updated 1224 GMT (2024 HKT)
CNNGo heads to the capital of China's Sichuan province where numbing peppers rule.
May 9, 2013 -- Updated 0016 GMT (0816 HKT)
The poisoning of Zhu Ling, a college sophomore in Beijing almost two decades ago, has ignited an emotional debate in China.
May 7, 2013 -- Updated 2253 GMT (0653 HKT)
80-year-old Chinese war veteran Duan Keke fought for North Korea in the Korean War. He believes China will prevent war with North Korea.
May 3, 2013 -- Updated 0654 GMT (1454 HKT)
"Iron Man 3" has set a new box office record in China, taking 130 million yuan ($21 million) on its opening day.
May 1, 2013 -- Updated 0259 GMT (1059 HKT)
The Communist party has become an exclusive club for China's elite, and some say its youngest members are motivated by nothing more than naked careerism.
April 26, 2013 -- Updated 1114 GMT (1914 HKT)
The H7N9 strain responsible for the bird flu outbreak in China is unlike any that has previously been seen in this type of virus.
Share with us your photos and videos of life in China-- the everyday China. The best content could be featured online or on air.
ADVERTISEMENT