Photo: Tian Ruliang covered in mud during the mudslide

A village official in a Southwest China's Yunnan Province township, was swept away by a debris flow and left covered in mud while going door to door urging residents to evacuate during a sudden flash flood. After escaping the raging mudslide, he continued organizing the evacuation, bringing all 60 people from 21 households to safety.

On a recent night, upon receiving a flood control alert, Tian Ruliang, head of Shanghongyan village in Yunnan, immediately went door to door to warn villagers of the impending flood risks. Several hours later, a second emergency alert was issued. Tian then teamed up with young villagers to knock on every door to wake those still asleep, China National Radio (CNR) reported. 

While Tian was rushing through the village, a debris flow laden with mud, sand, and rocks struck, engulfing him. At this life-threatening moment, Tian grabbed hold of a large tree by a gully, fought his way out of the mud, and scrambled onto the bank. 

By then, he was covered head to toe in mud, with his clothes torn, multiple abrasions on his body and mud in his mouth and nose. Yet he continued checking each home and organizing the evacuation.

From the urgent alert to the complete evacuation to a safe zone, the entire process took only about half an hour—all 60 villagers from 21 households were safely relocated, CNR reported. Tian said that just as he withdrew, a landslide of over 10,000 cubic meters crashed down, burying the rear area of the village.

After the crisis passed, Tian did not rest but immediately threw himself into clearing sludge and village rebuilding. Medical checks confirmed he had multiple soft tissue abrasions across his body, and conjunctivitis in both eyes caused by irritation from mud, CNR reported.

Tian said that danger was inevitable but protecting thelocal people is his duty. "As long as everyone stays safe and sound, all the toil and fatigue mean nothing," he added.


Global Times