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Flights cancelled after Beijing deluge

More than 500 flights were cancelled at Beijing’s main airport leaving thousands of passengers stranded due to the heaviest rainfalls in 60 years.


As many as 37 people are reported to have been killed as a result of the deluge which affected 1.9 million people, according to local reports.


Collapsed roofs, lightning strikes and electrocution from downed power lines were among the causes of the deaths over the weekend.


More than 65,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes as more than 18 inches of rain fell in Fangshan district of the Chinese capital.


“There could be further large-scale storms or extreme weather,” the Beijing city government’s website said.


A report in the Global Times newspaper said people in Beijing are offering help to those affected or stranded by the rain via social media, the BBC reported.


Rides, meals and accommodation were among the offers of assistance posted over the Twitter-like microblogging site Weibo.


 

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