Volunteers rise to challenge in flood-stricken Henan

Thousands answer calls to help with disaster relief work

Zhou Jing, who runs a dessert shop in Hefei, capital of Anhui province, messaged her hairdresser for an appointment last week, expecting the customary quick reply.

However, her request went unanswered for nearly an entire day.

The 28-year-old rang a friend to complain about this, but the friend advised her to look at the latest post from the hairdresser, who has served Zhou for six years.

The post, sent by Yu Tao at 6:32 am on Wednesday, read: "Terribly sorry, but I'm not only a hairdresser but also a member of the Hefei Blue Sky Rescue Team. Very severe urban flooding has occurred in Zhengzhou, Henan province. Last night, we received a request to help with local rescue efforts, and we have set off."

Feeling both surprised and proud, Zhou posted news of Yu's spirited response to the crisis on Sina Weibo, little expecting the post to become an online sensation.

As of Sunday afternoon, the post had been liked nearly 900,000 times and appeared with about 20,000 related comments. Many netizens also posted news of people they know who rushed to Henan to help, including restaurant owners and cooks.

Replying to netizens' comments, Zhou said: "Every ordinary person can be a hero for our people. They may work in jobs that are not that impressive, but when needed, they brave difficulties to safeguard our peace and safety."

Zhou's hairdresser is one of thousands of civilian rescue team members from across the nation helping with disaster relief work in Henan by tackling formidable challenges posed by historically rare torrential rain and floods.

In an online video, hairdresser Yu said he was surprised to have attracted so much attention in cyberspace.