‘Must not let you down’: China train attendant’s emotional address to passengers stranded for 10 hours by mudslides goes viral
- Rail attendant urges trapped passengers not to swarm staff handing out food and water
- Video of impassioned address gets 3 million likes on Douyin, plaudits for dedication to passenger safety
A carriage attendant’s emotional address to passengers trapped for more than 10 hours on a train in China after mudslides blocked the tracks has gone viral on mainland social media.
The train was travelling from Inner Mongolia in northern China to Beijing on July 30 when mudslides caused by recent heavy rain blocked the tracks and stranded the 976 passengers in the suburban Mentougou District of the capital, the Yangtze Daily reported.
Extreme weather has killed 11 people in the Beijing region alone, with 27 others missing after flash flooding caused damage to roads and infrastructure.
The Mentougou District where the mudslides occurred had the highest rainfall in the city, with 470mm falling between July 29 and August 1.
The passengers, which included a group of 44 primary and secondary school students and 24 train attendants, became increasingly anxious after being trapped for more than 10 hours with little food or water.
It was at this point that attendant Zhao Yang was filmed advising passengers in strained voice that staff would be distributing food and water. She also pleaded with people not to swarm and cause a stampede.