A firefighter (right) from Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, reports to local police that his phone had been stolen from a firetruck while he was risking his life putting out a blaze on Sunday. Screenshot from Sina Weibo.

Chinese netizens are calling the person who stole a firefighter's personal phone from the cab of a firetruck while he was risking his life putting out a fire, despicable.

The firefighter from Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, must have thought leaving his phone in the cab of the firetruck would be safe, but while he was battling a blaze someone climbed into the truck and snatched it. 

"Please return the phone; the firefighter will forgive you," fire rescue authorities in Yangzhou said in a plea for help posted on Sina Weibo.

"We called the phone after we couldn't find it, but the person hung up. It was turned off when we dialed the number a second time. The positioning system shows the phone was in a village three kilometers from the fire," the firefighter told the media. 

The firefighter told police that his phone is old but has many valuable family pictures, videos and a long contact list, and that's why he is anxious and angry about his loss. 

Chinese netizens slammed despicable person who stole the phone.

"The firefighter was risking his life to save the village and is this how he is thanked?" asked a Weibo user.  

Global Times