Grid managers risk lives to aid landslide evacuation

"Please leave me alone," Zhang Weiling, Party branch secretary of Shatuo community in Hanjia subdistrict, Pengshui Miao and Tujia autonomous county, wearily told the reporters on Saturday after giving interviews about evacuations that took place shortly before a deadly landslide struck her community in Chongqing.

An emotional Zhang tried hard to hold back tears as she recalled the harrowing event.

During the chaos of helping residents move to safety, one of her colleagues was injured and hospitalized and another went missing.

Overwhelmed by sadness and the heavy burden of resettlement work, she found a quiet corner to sit and bowed her head to rest.

As I covered the landslide story in this community, I was deeply touched by the bravery and dedication of the most grassroots community workers: the grid managers who serve as the vital link between local residents and the government.

Local communities in Chinese cities and rural areas are divided into small neighborhood units called "grids". Those grid managers are responsible for handling information collection, safety inspections, dispute mediation and public services to ensure effective community governance.

The landslide occurred at around 9 am on Friday in Pengshui county, burying several residential buildings and trapping multiple individuals.

The disaster killed eight people, with 34 still missing.

Fortunately, earlier that morning, local community workers issued an emergency warning after discovering sporadic rockfalls during an early morning patrol and organized the safe evacuation of over 60 residents.

Grid managers, such as Peng Di and Gong Baodong, knocked on every door to warn residents about the landslide and encouraged them to leave for a safer place.

Some left home right away, but others hesitated and chose to stay put.

"While everyone else was fleeing, Peng ran against the crowd and kept shouting warnings to the residents," Ran Shifang, 49, a resident who escaped from the landslide, said.

"She shouted, 'The mountain behind us is about to collapse! Run to the sides, hurry!'"

Just before the collapse, Peng was struck by flying debris and tumbled into a gap between the fallen rocks. Later, she was rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment.

But Gong, a young man in his 20s, lost contact at around 9 am while assisting with the evacuation effort. He became a grid manager in May last year after graduating from Southwest University of Political Science and Law in Chongqing.

This is not just an isolated story of bravery; it is a vivid reflection of a massive network. China is powered by several million grid managers nationwide. From resolving neighborhood disputes and assisting elderly empty-nester, to patrolling dangerous hillsides during rainstorms, they are the vital links that hold societies together.

They transform abstract state governance into tangible, warm and highly efficient daily care. They prove that effective modern governance relies not just on big data and smart cameras, but on the dedicated footsteps of individuals who know their neighborhoods inside out.

For their ultimate dedication, their silent sacrifices and their unwavering bravery in the face of danger — hats off to the grid managers.