Heroic official who died in Xinjiang flood recognized

Mihriban Matrozi, a 30-year-old cultural and tourism official in Qira county, Hotan prefecture, in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, died in a mountain flash flood in June while on duty. Now she has been nominated for the Good Samaritan of China award.

Born in September 1995, she was deputy director of the county Party committee's administrative office and temporarily oversaw administrative work at the county bureau of culture, sports, broadcast, television and tourism.

CCTV News reported that, a sudden torrential rainstorm struck Yulongke'er and Segezileke villages — where she was stationed — on June 21. She worked through the night to organize emergency supplies and rushed to relocate 125 residents to safety.

The next day, some roads leading to the county's scenic areas were found to have been damaged by the floods. Concerned about tourist safety, Mihriban Matrozi set out to inspect the situation. En route, she was caught in a flash flood herself and died in the struggle.

Her story came to wider attention on Tuesday, when the Xinjiang regional office for cultural and ethical progress named her as a candidate for the honor of 2026 "Good Samaritans of China" — the third group — and released the list for review.

The quarterly campaign recognizes exemplary individuals who help others, act bravely for a just cause, who are honest, trustworthy and dedicated to their work and those who show filial piety to elderly family member. Winners are selected through public nominations, online engagement and expert review.

According to the cultural and ethical progress office and CCTV News, Mihriban Matrozi had returned to her hometown in 2013 after finishing school in Beijing and spent 13 years working at the grassroots level.

She began her career as a kindergarten teacher, where visited families and integrated folk songs and local crafts into her lessons. In 2024, she was transferred to become vice-principal of the county's secondary vocational technical school, where she helped four hearing-impaired students get hearing aids and secured financial support for 21 students in need.

In December, she moved into cultural and tourism promotion. She explored the county's intangible cultural heritage and spearheaded a 39-episode promotion plan, overseeing everything from scriptwriting to production, and appeared on camera as the face of the county's heritage campaign.

She completed nine such projects, with 23 cultural and tourism promotional videos, bringing Qira's handmade carpets, herbal teas, rose petal jam and other heritage items into the public eye.

In late June, an episode of the reality show Become a Farmer, featuring Mihriban Matrozi promoting her hometown's culture, tourism and specialties, was released. A Weibo comment read, "Our grief comes with a time lag … she might never have seen herself on screen. Rest in peace."