Xizang Earthquake: Rescuers retrieve residents' belongings from damaged homes
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Resettlement efforts are ongoing in Xizang after the recent earthquake. Authorities say while affected residents have been safely relocated to tents and mobile homes, some of their belongings remain in the damaged homes. Rescuers have been working tirelessly to retrieve residents' personal items, as Chen Mengfei reports.

CHEN MENGFEI Cuo'ang Village, Quluo Township, Dingri County Xizang Autonomous Region "We're now on the 6th day after earthquake first hit Xizang. The search and rescue has concluded days ago and all the affected residents had been moved to tents, some even to mobile homes. Now we're following a team of volunteers, firefighters, policemen who have come from all over China to help locals retrieve their prized belongings in these extremely endangered houses."

This operation is an essential part of the post-quake relief, as it not only helps locals recover their valuable belongings but also ensures they don't have to risk entering these dangerously unstable houses themselves.

After the homeowner explained the location of their possessions, firefighters carefully entered the house to assess the risks.

Will the floors hold? What's the safest escape route? Only after precautions were taken did everyone join in to move boxes and items out to the yard.

A police officer documented each retrieved item. The homeowner expressed relief and gratitude, saying he was happy to have his cherished belongings – from clothes to silverware – safely recovered.

Before we could interview the police officers, who had traveled from other parts of Xizang to assist, they had already moved on to the next site. One of the civilian volunteers, a young man who works in finance in Shenzhen, told us what it meant for him to be part of the relief effort.

ZHANG JUNBAO Shenzhen Rescue Volunteers Federation (SRVF) "I'm just here to contribute in any way I can and do something for these people. I have to say, our country is so strong now, and the speed of disaster relief is much faster than I expected. By the time we arrived, rescue operations had already ended, so now we're focusing on retrieving possessions, distributing supplies, and other tasks."

It was lunchtime, so we followed the firefighters to a nearby site where their colleagues had prepared hot meals for the affected residents. The firefighters respond promptly to their every need.

YANG XIUJUN Instructor Xizang Forest Firefighting Special Operations Unit "Our goal is to carry out professional rescue operations while also bringing the warmth and care of the Party and government to those in need."

Recovery efforts are moving swiftly, but rebuilding communities will take time.

Local residents say knowing help is at hand gives them a sense of hope and resilience. Chen Mengfei, CGTN, Dingri County, Xizang Autonomous Region.