Mourning ceremony held for deceased firefighters in Sichuan

China Plus Published: 2019-04-03 16:57:55
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At least 27 firefighters have been killed in a fire that engulfed 15 hectares of forest in China's Sichuan Province. The victims were all between the ages of 19 and 39.

People lay wreaths in an impromptu mourning ceremony for the people who lost their lives in the blaze.[Photo: IC]

People lay wreaths in an impromptu mourning ceremony for the people who lost their lives in the blaze.[Photo: Xinhua]

Scores of people lined the road with flowers to pay tribute to the firefighters as their bodies were being transported to a local funeral parlour in Xichang City. Some yelled "R.I.P , Heroes!"

Some people reposted the last social media posts made by the victims. "The trip took me 15 hours, and I can't feel my legs," read a post from one of the firefighters. "The scenery on the route is very beautiful, maybe many people will never get to see it in their lifetime."

A screenshot of one of the last posts from one of the firefighters killed in the fire. [Photo: IC]

A screenshot of one of the last posts from one of the firefighters killed in the fire. [Photo: IC]

Hundreds of people visited the Xichang funeral home to pay tribute to the fire victims and placed flowers and a Hada (a piece of white silk) on Tuesday. Later that evening, members of the Rongan Forest Fire Prevention headquarters in Liuzhou City lit candles and held a mourning ceremony for their colleagues.

Firefighters from the Rongan Forest Fire Prevention headquarters in Liuzhou City light candles for the deceased firefighters. [Photo: IC]

Firefighters from the Rongan Forest Fire Prevention headquarters in Liuzhou City light candles for the deceased firefighters. [Photo: IC]

A local report had this tribute for the firefighters: "We do not celebrate martyrdom, for we appreciate lives. But there are villages and people out there. We still have to put out the fire. We must pay tribute to their dedicated spirits because they fulfilled their duties with their lives, safeguarded people's lives and prosperity, and sacrificed themselves."

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