Never giving up hope

A 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck Mandalay, Myanmar, on March 28, resulting in over 3,700 deaths and thousands more injured and trapped. Buildings in the quake zone collapsed like pancakes, significantly hindering rescue efforts.

Despite numerous transportation challenges, including multiple transfer flights and over 10 hours of rough road travel from Yangon to the epicenter, Chinese rescue workers quickly assembled.

On March 31, the Chinese Red Cross International Emergency Response Team and Hangzhou-based Wolfpack Emergency Response, serving as advance teams, overcame these difficulties to reach the disaster area, becoming among the first international rescue teams to arrive.

Chen Ying, the only female member of the team, served as a medical doctor, psychological counselor and the team's logistics manager.

During eight days of post-quake rescue efforts, she and her teammates rested only two to three hours a day, participating in the search and rescue in the debris of dozens of buildings and providing invaluable assistance to victims.

Her professional medical skills and sensitive psychological support made her the team's "steady anchor", embodying the dedication of civilian rescue forces.

In Mandalay, a stadium became the headquarters for the Chinese Red Cross International Emergency Response Team. The owner of the stadium lost his wife in the earthquake. He offered the venue to assist the rescuers from China in helping more victims of the disaster.

In the relentless 40 C heat, Wolfpack Emergency Response set up rows of mosquito nets so that those who needed sleep could get some.