Beijing's Biggest Rains in 60 Years Kill 10

Beijing was hit by the worst torrential rains in 60 years yesterday, killing at least 10 people and trapping cars and buses in deep water around the capital, reports Sky News. Two people were killed when the roof of their home caved in, another by a downed power line, while others drowned. About 6.7 inches of rain fell in the city starting yesterday afternoon and into the overnight, with one district to the west of Beijing receiving 18.1 inches.

Another 10 people were killed outside of Beijing, including six in a landslide. More than 500 flights were canceled at the Beijing Capital International Airport, leaving 80,000 people stranded. But there was one tiny silver lining to the devastating storms—the heavy rains washed much of the usual pollutants out of the sky, giving the city a rare "excellent" rating on the official pollution index. (More Beijing stories.)