China floods

Toll from Beijing floods at 77

• Published: 27/07/2012 at 11:46 AM
• Online news:

BEIJING - The death toll from the worst rains to hit Beijing in more than 60 years has risen to 77, more than doubling previous figures, China's official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday.

Beijing authorities had announced on late Sunday that 37 people had died after freak rains caused rivers to burst their banks and flood major highways, submerging large numbers of vehicles.
Many residents of China's sprawling capital had expressed doubts about the official toll, believing the true figure to be much higher.
In the worst-hit area of Fangshan, on the city's mountainous southwestern outskirts, distraught residents on Monday reported cars being swept away and said many people were still missing.

The devasted area in Beijing on July 26, 2012, after the worst rainstorms in six decades pounded the capital city on July 21 leaving the metropolis flooded and tens of thousands of people stranded in surging waters. (AFP Photo)

From - Bangkok Post