Flash flood sweeps gold shop in China, locals scramble for $1M in jewelry

The owner of the Laofengxiang gold shop said the flood on the morning of July 25 washed away all the gold jewelry on display, including bracelets, necklaces, earrings, pendants, diamond rings, as well as jade and silver items. A safe containing inventory, recycled materials, and cash also disappeared, according to The Standard.

Store staff had stayed overnight to monitor the situation, but by morning, a flood warning was issued. As they opened the store, an emergency evacuation order was given. Within minutes, floodwaters surged in, rising over a meter high and sweeping away all assets.

More than 10 million yuan (US$1.38 million) worth of jewelry is estimated to have been lost in the flood.

After the waters receded, the owner's family and staff spent two days digging through the mud, recovering only about one kilogram of jewelry, mostly returned voluntarily by local residents.

The store's security cameras failed to capture the incident due to a power outage and disrupted internet service.

As news of the loss spread, hundreds of people flocked to the scene to search for missing jewelry, leading to chaotic scenes. Some even brought metal detectors to scour the area.

"Some residents reported seeing others picking up jewelry, but no one has come forward to return any items," Xiaoye, the shop owner's son, was quoted by The Standard.

Xiaoye also warned that anyone found deliberately keeping the lost jewelry would be reported to the authorities and that the store would collect evidence to pursue legal action, Sina reported.

Since last Wednesday, several regions across northern, eastern, and northeastern China—including nine provinces and municipalities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Shandong, Guangdong, and Shaanxi—have been hit by prolonged heavy rainfall.

According to Reuters, at least 30 people in Beijing had died as of July 29 after a year's worth of rain fell in less than a week, forcing the relocation of more than 80,000 people, damaging roads, and cutting off power and communications in over 130 villages.

Hundreds of flights and several train services were delayed or suspended as the storms peaked on the previous night, stretching the capital's disaster management capacity and prompting some experts to call the city a rain "trap".