Model postman assists in mudslide relief efforts

Since a catastrophic mudslide struck the Gyirong Port area on Aug 26, veteran postman Basang Dondrub has been contributing to relief efforts at a temporary supply depot in Gyirong county, Shigatse, Xizang autonomous region.

Tasked with unloading rescue equipment and donated goods, Basang Dondrub helps ensure essential supplies reach those in need.

A parking lot has been transformed into a makeshift storage site, receiving firefighting and rescue equipment from Shigatse as well as donations from across the nation. Basang Dondrub and fellow volunteers begin work at 8 or 9 am, often continuing until the early hours of the next morning, leaving them with just a few hours of rest.

"It's tiring, but when people are in difficulty, I should step forward and help," Basang Dondrub said. "As long as the relief work continues, I'll stay here."

By 6 pm on Saturday, 16 people had been confirmed dead and 546 remained missing, according to regional authorities.

Having served China Post in Gyirong county for more than a decade, Basang Dondrub volunteered for the relief mission soon after the disaster struck, drawing on his previous emergency response experience and knowing that additional manpower would be needed.

Ten postmen are currently working in the disaster-hit area, including local staff and reinforcements from Shigatse, Basang Dondrub said.

The disaster also disrupted local postal services. Road restrictions halted deliveries for two days, resulting in a backlog of more than 1,300 pieces of mail and parcels, including university admission letters and other urgent deliveries.

Postal workers coordinated with higher-level branches to resume services and clear the backlog. All the delayed items have since been delivered, Basang Dondrub said.

For Basang Dondrub, ensuring that important mail reaches people in remote communities has been part of his job for more than a decade.

He joined China Post in 2014, initially serving different townships before taking on delivery routes covering villages across Gyirong county. At one point, his routes covered 14 administrative villages in an area where mountainous terrain and unstable road conditions could turn routine deliveries into difficult journeys.

He recalled an occasion when difficult road conditions prevented a vehicle from reaching a remote village where a university admission letter needed to be delivered.

Basang Dondrub continued part of the journey on foot. With limited mobile phone coverage and homes scattered across the area, he sought help from local residents before eventually finding the student, Dorje Gyatso, and handing over the letter.

Earlier this year, Basang Dondrub moved from front-line delivery into a role overseeing universal postal services at China Post's Gyirong county branch. He was named a national model worker in 2025, an honor he said represents greater responsibility.

For now, that responsibility means remaining at the temporary supply depot, where trucks continue to arrive with equipment and donated goods.

"I'll stay here until the disaster response is over," Basang Dondrub said.

Contact the writers at palden_nyima@chinadaily.com.cn