Footage showed emergency teams wading through chest-high water trying to rescue those trapped in the home in the Miyun District. Many of those who died were reportedly immobile. Local officials have admitted there were "loopholes in emergency planning" and said the incident was a painful lesson that served as "a wake-up call".

A total of 44 people have died in the Beijing floods, which have come during a summer of extreme weather across China. Record heatwaves hit the eastern regions earlier this month while separate floods swept the country's south-west. About 77 elderly residents were inside the home when the floods hit, trapping about 40 of them as water levels rose to almost 2m (6ft), according to Chinese media. The facility - situated in Taishitun Town - primarily cares for those who are severely disabled, low-income, or receiving minimal living allowances, local media reports.

"For a long time, the central area of the town where the nursing home is located had been considered safe, so it was not included in the evacuation scope of the plan", a Chinese official said at a press conference on Thursday. (BBC)