Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
26 July 2012 10:09
Heavy rain in Beijing has stranded thousands of tourists
Thousands of passengers have been stranded in Beijing after the Chinese capital was hit by its heaviest rainfall for 60 years.
More than 500 flights have been cancelled at the city's main airport due to the deluge, which began on Saturday afternoon, according to the Beijing News.
The rain carried on into the night, flooding major roads and causing lightning strikes and roof collapses.
The extreme weather, which left 37 people dead, is believed to have cost 10 billion yuan (£960 million), Pan Anjun, deputy chief of Beijing flood control headquarters, told the Xinhua news agency.
Xinhua estimated that 460mm of rain fell in the Fangshan district of Beijing, while the average across the capital was 170mm.
With so many tourists trapped in such tragic circumstances, the incident is a reminder that heading abroad can be a step into the unknown and securing travel insurance can provide some protection.
UK student Tom Smith, who has spent a year living in China, explained to the BBC that the storm felt like "standing under a waterfall".
He said: "All the manholes had vanished because the water was sitting on top of them. It looked very dangerous and very difficult to find where these holes were."
24 September 2016
Slim people who look physically healthy may still be at increased chance of being diagnosed with bowel cancer if they have raised insulin levels, according new research.
[more...]
23 September 2016
Theresa May is being urged to give the go-ahead for flights to resume between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh by the head of the cross-party parliamentary group on Egypt.
22 September 2016
Budget airline Jet2.com is to open its first base in the south of England at Stansted.
21 September 2016
Smoking rates have dropped to the lowest level on record in England, new figures show, suggesting messages about the health effects of cigarettes are hitting home.
20 September 2016
Concerns have been raised over flight disruptions caused by heavy drinking among passengers.
17 September 2016
British Airways' decision to launch direct flights from London to Tehran earlier this month positions Iran as one of the hottest destinations to visit in 2017, according to experts.
16 September 2016
More than 100 flights have been cancelled as French air traffic controllers go on strike again.
15 September 2016
Two thirds of MPs would support an expansion at Heathrow.
14 September 2016
TripAdvisor is launching a new homepage, making the booking of holiday activities and tours even easier.
13 September 2016
Travellers are to be charged to use fast lanes to get through passport checks in an attempt to cut queues.
09 September 2016
People travelling to regions affected by the Zika virus outbreak should practise safe sex for at least half a year upon their return, health leaders say.
08 September 2016
British Airways is apologising to passengers for delays after an IT glitch hit check-in systems.