Rescuers used rafts to bring locals to safety as relief efforts in north China’s Hebei Province intensified after heavy downpours battered the area. Nine people were killed, and six others remained missing following incidents related to days of heavy rain in Hebei, according to the Xinhua News Agency. Nearly 850,000 people have been relocated due to the downpour and flood discharge from upstream, local authorities said. Record torrential rain in areas around China’s capital, Beijing, has killed at least 20 people and left 27 more missing, the government reported on Tuesday (1 August), as flooding destroyed roads, uprooted trees and knocked out power.