Village official recalls earthquake aftermath

More than a month after a devastating earthquake struck her home county on Jan 7, Kelsang Drolma, a village official in the Xizang autonomous region, still recalls the intense, sleepless nights spent racing against time to relocate villagers and minimize losses.

The magnitude-6.8 earthquake claimed 126 lives and affected multiple areas, including Chukhu village in Mangphu township, Lhaze county, where Kelsang Drolma has worked tirelessly to help residents recover.

She was attending a meeting when the earthquake hit. As soon as the tremors began, she ran out of the hall and tried to call her villagers but found that the communication network was down.

"I couldn't reach anyone. I became very worried and decided to return to the village immediately," she said.

On her way back, many villagers working in distant locations called her, desperate for news of their families. She reassured them that their loved ones would be fine and promised to update them upon reaching the village.

The road back was strewn with rocks from the quake, forcing her and a township leader traveling with her to clear debris along the way. It took them about 40 minutes to reach the village, where they learned that, fortunately, all villagers were safe.