Helping hands are extended to homeless suffering from heat

Unlike many civil servants who enjoy an air-conditioned office, Zhan Shaobo cannot stay in the office even on the hottest days.

Zhan, from Hefei's downtown Luoyang district civil affairs bureau, in Anhui province, patrols the streets every workday searching for homeless people, for fear that they may be harmed by the scorching sun.

The city has been in the grip of a heat wave since late July, with afternoon temperatures often soaring to 38 C.