Update: All-out rescue efforts underway as rainstorms leave 30 dead in Beijing

BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- All-out disaster relief and rescue operations are underway in Beijing as the latest round of intense rainstorms have left 30 people dead in the Chinese capital as of midnight Monday, damaging roads, disrupting power supply and prompting mass evacuation.

The deaths occurred in Beijing's northern mountainous districts, with 28 in Miyun and two in Yanqing, according to local authorities.

On Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping made an important instruction regarding flood control and disaster relief work, urging all-out efforts to ensure the safety of people's lives and property in the fight against rain-triggered floods and geological disasters affecting some parts of China.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said all-out search and rescue must be conducted for those missing or trapped, and residents in flood-threatened areas must be promptly relocated and resettled to minimize casualties.

Across Beijing alone, more than 80,000 people have been relocated, while the rainstorms damaged 31 road sections and disrupted the power supply in 136 villages.

"Heavy rain started to hit on Saturday night, flooding some homes in the town," said Cui Di, deputy chief of Shicheng Township in the hardest-hit Miyun. Cui worked tirelessly to assist with relocating residents to safer areas.

"During emergencies like this, it's tough for everyone. We do our best to make the shelter as comfortable as possible to ease their anxiety," Cui said.

Cui noted that local authorities have also prepared essential supplies, including mattresses, blankets, bread and eggs, for the displaced residents.

In a resettlement center in Miyun, fourth-grade student Zhao Zixuan is sitting on the bed reading a book. He was brought out of a flooded village by speedboat. "It is very safe here, and I can read with peace of mind," Zhao said.

In recent days, extreme and severe convective weather, brought by warm, moist air from the edge of the subtropical high, has occurred in Miyun and other areas of Beijing. Torrential rains have also hit regions near Beijing.

At 8 p.m. Monday, the Beijing municipal flood control headquarters activated the highest level of its citywide flood-control emergency response mechanism. Authorities have warned the public to stay away from sections of the fast-flowing river.

Due to continuous heavy rainfall, railway authorities on Tuesday temporarily suspended some trains on the Beijing-Harbin high-speed railway.

China's Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management on Tuesday allocated 350 million yuan (about 48.94 million U.S. dollars) in central government disaster relief funds to nine provincial-level regions, including Beijing, which were affected by floods.

The funds will prioritize emergency rescue operations and disaster relief for affected residents in these regions.

Also on Tuesday, China's National Development and Reform Commission said that it had allocated 200 million yuan to assist disaster relief efforts in Beijing. ■