Hamas denies responsibility for attack on Israeli forces in Rafah
Hamas on Tuesday (October 28) denied responsibility for an attack on Israeli forces in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which triggered renewed Israel...
Beijing had evacuated over 70,000 residents by Monday afternoon as authorities issued fresh warnings of intense rainfall, just a week after deadly floods left dozens dead in the city’s worst deluge since 2012.
Forecasters predicted up to 200mm (7.9 inches) of rain could fall in parts of the capital within six hours, an alarming figure for a city that typically sees about 600mm annually. The alert came as emergency teams rushed to strengthen flood barriers, improve forecasting systems, and refine evacuation procedures, following harrowing scenes of people being swept away in floodwaters, including three fatalities reported at a wellness camp in Hebei province.
From 23 to 29 July, at least 44 people died in Beijing, many caught off guard by sudden floods, particularly at a nursing home in the northeastern Miyun district. The incident prompted officials to acknowledge significant flaws in their emergency planning.
As of noon Monday, all 16 districts of Beijing had been placed on the highest state of emergency readiness- the first such declaration since 28 July. Authorities shut down sections of the Great Wall and other outdoor attractions, while also suspending operations of underground businesses due to the “extremely high” risk of flash floods and landslides.
By 2 p.m., nearly 14,000 of those evacuated were from the mountainous Mentougou district in western Beijing, according to state media.
In 2012, the city’s worst recorded flooding killed 79 people, especially affecting Fangshan district. Beijing’s geography, surrounded by mountains to the west and north, creates a natural “trap” for rain-bearing clouds, often intensifying rainfall levels.
Tragedy at wellness retreat
In Hebei province, just outside Beijing, torrential rains struck the 'Beijing Valley' wellness retreat in Chengde on 27 July, killing three people and leaving four unaccounted for, according to Xinhua. Around 40 people had gathered for an event on the site, reportedly camping on low-lying terrain near a river bend. By 2 a.m. the following day, floodwaters reached knee height, forcing a chaotic escape through the site’s only exit.
The disaster bore eerie resemblance to the recent tragedy at Camp Mystic in Texas, where 28 children died after flash floods overwhelmed a riverside camp.
Meanwhile, in China’s southern Guangdong province, five bodies were recovered over the weekend following a large-scale search involving more than 1,300 rescuers. The victims had gone missing Friday night during flash floods triggered by days of heavy rain, Xinhua reported.
A small, silent object from another star is cutting through the Solar System. It’s real, not a film, and one scientist thinks it might be sending a message.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, warned on Tuesday that humanity has failed to limit global warming to 1.5°C and must take urgent action.
Hurricane Melissa has made landfall in south-western Jamaica as a category five storm, unleashing violent winds, torrential rain and life-threatening floods across the island.
Billionaire investor and philanthropist Bill Gates called on world leaders on Tuesday to adapt to extreme weather and focus on improving health outcomes rather than temperature reduction targets ahead of the COP30 climate talks in Brazil.
Three people have died in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa, possibly the island’s strongest storm ever, approaches with “catastrophic” conditions, warn U.S. meteorologists.
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Sındırgı district in western Türkiye’s Balıkesir province late on Monday, according to the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment