Officials in Beijing, China, chose to destroy a city Monday instead of letting deadly flood waters hit the capital.
Deadly flooding throughout Beijing and other parts of China has overwhelmed residents living in the capital, destroying infrastructure and washing away countless vehicles and more. On Monday, as flooding increased due to superstorm Doksuri, and the impending typhoon Khanun, officials chose to divert the onslaught of water to Zhuozhou in the neighboring Hebei Province, the BBC reported.
The town was rapidly cut off from all access to the outside world as “buildings became islands,” the outlet continued. Residents were left without electricity or access to safe drinking water. Beijing initially said that rescue efforts were being impeded by a lack of watercraft.
Footage from the region shows just how catastrophic the flooding really is.
Beijing just had its heaviest rainfall in at least 140 years, with up to 29.3 inches of rain falling, resulting in catastrophic, deadly flooding.
🎥 @yangyubin1998 pic.twitter.com/EH5UIZS4Er
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) August 2, 2023
Hebei’s Party Secretary Ni Yuefeng received mass criticism online for declaring that his jurisdiction would act as a “moat” for Beijing. “Those in power only care about their superiors. Congratulations! He’ll be promoted. But the obedient 70 million residents of Hebei will be sacrificed,” one person wrote to social media. (RELATED: Don’t Worry About Pelosi’s Taiwan Visit. China Invaded Us Years Ago, Didn’t You Notice?)
The party eventually sent fire department rescue teams on Wednesday. Residents reported losing absolutely everything in the deluge. “We brought nothing with us,” one woman told the BBC, holding her infant child. “We needed to just get out and keep this baby safe.”