Death Toll From Torrential Rains In Beijing Rises To 77

Death toll from torrential rains in Beijing rises to 77 < br />

2012-07-28 00:55:01 GMT+7 (ICT)

BEIJING, CHINA (BNO NEWS) -- The Chinese government on Friday acknowledged the death toll has risen to at least 77 after torrential rains hit the capital Beijing last week. It comes after the public began to question whether the government had released accurate casualty figures.

Over 460 millimeters (18.1 inches) of rain was recorded in the southwestern district of Fangshan over the course of the storm, which began on early July 21 and lasted more than 20 hours. The average rainfall in the rest of Beijing was 170 millimeters (6.7 inches), which according to records, was the highest since 1951.

The municipal government initially put the number of fatalities at 37, but residents questioned the numbers and some bloggers even began compiling their own list of casualties. The Beijing flood control headquarters on Friday confirmed the death toll had risen to at least 77, saying mudslides had prevented rescue workers from recovering bodies and that identifying them took time.

The headquarters said it has so far identified 66 victims, of whom at least 36 were men and 25 were women. Five of the victims died while carrying out rescue work, five were electrocuted, three died in building collapses, two died in mudslides, two died from shock, two died after being hit by falling debris, one died as a result of a lightning strike, and 46 people drowned.

Pan Anjun, a spokesman for the Beijing flood control headquarters, said rescue workers do not expect another sharp increase in the death toll because the search for missing persons is drawing to an end. "But we will not give up searching just yet," Pan told the state-run Xinhua news agency.

Last week's rainstorm, which also forced some 66,000 people to evacuate, has caused at least 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) in damage, according to a preliminary assessment. Beijing officials reported multiple roads and bridges were damaged or destroyed, more than 1,200 houses experienced water damage, and 736 houses were flooded.

Several parts of Beijing were also experiencing blackouts and interruption to internet and mobile phone services.

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