Young survivor of Wenchuan earthquake takes part in rescue efforts at site of Luding earthquake in Sichuan

Photos shows Zhang Zili holding a baby rescued from the earthquake rubble. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)

Zhang Zili, who survived the powerful earthquake that rocked Wenchuan county of southwest China's Sichuan Province in 2008 as a young boy, recently joined in rescue efforts after a magnitude-6.8 earthquake jolted Luding county of Sichuan on Sept. 5, 2022.

Photos shows Zhang Zili holding a baby rescued from the earthquake rubble. (Photo/Peng Ke)

In less than four months after he became a firefighter in May 2022, Zhang has already taken part in three rescue missions, which included the earthquake in Luding, introduced Gou Qi, head of the Wenchuan firefighting team under the forest fire brigade in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan.

"Zhang was dispatched to our team at the end of June. As a newbie, he trained very hard. During the previous two rescue missions he participated in, Zhang bravely charged ahead, demonstrating his strong physical capacity," said Gou.

Photo shows Zhang Zili (first from left) during a training session. (Photo courtesy of the forest fire brigade in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture)

When the devastating earthquake hit Wenchuan, Zhang was only a first grader. When all the dust settled after the earthquake, Zhang's family home had collapsed. Soldiers of the People's Liberation Army and firefighters set up a tent for Zhang's family to shelter in and provided them with instant noodles to eat, serving to address their most urgent needs.