Yaxin News - (Reported by Wang Qianxi) Since about 12 PM on November 1st, at the epicenter of the earthquake in Aketubieke Township of Gongliu County, Yili, Xinjiang, Zhang Hao and his comrades wearing orange rescue uniforms have been going door to door persuading people to leave their houses and helping affected households set up tents.
Zhang Hao, 24 years old, is a soldier from the Special Operations Team of the Yili Prefecture Public Security Fire Brigade and also a member of the Yili Prefecture Comprehensive Emergency Rescue Team. He has served for five years and will be leaving the military camp in less than ten days.
At 8:30 PM on November 1st, when the reporter called Zhang Hao for an interview, he was busy. He said, "In another ten minutes, the last tent will be set up. Could you call back later? Or I'll call you after I'm done."
At that moment, Captain Hu Shuwang's voice came through on the reporter's end. He said, "This guy is too disobedient. He's been on site for 10 hours and only ate a bowl of instant noodles. We can't even persuade him to rest."
Around 9 PM, the reporter's phone rang. "Hello, hi, sorry, I've just finished...," Zhang Hao said breathlessly, "Today, my comrades and I set up 15 tents." It was reported that Aketubieke Township received 20 rescue tents.
Zhang Hao mentioned that early that morning, while he and his comrades were exercising, they suddenly felt the ground shaking violently, making it impossible to stand steady. "Earthquake!" After several seconds of shaking, everyone realized what was happening. Subsequently, the team received orders to prepare fully and enter the disaster area for rescue operations.
Around noon, when they entered Gongliu County, they saw frightened herders standing helplessly in front of their homes. Upon arriving at Aketubieke Township, they noticed many herders had driven their livestock out of the yard and were gathered around them, worried that the animals might get lost. Some herders, seeing no abnormalities after the quake, went back inside to gather their belongings. The soldiers immediately persuaded them to leave one by one.
By 1 PM, the relief tents arrived in the disaster area, and everyone started setting up tents for the victims.
The reporter said, "After working for 10 hours and eating just a bowl of instant noodles, you must be very tired now. Take a good rest."
"No, not at all. In fact, in less than ten days, I will take off my military uniform. When I think back to January 1998, when a 6.2-magnitude earthquake occurred in my hometown of Zhangjiakou, and the PLA helped us set up tents, I was deeply moved. Now, I can also help the victims like them, fulfilling a wish for my parents. They once said, child, when will you be able to help these victims like these PLA uncles? If you can do that, we won't feel that we raised you in vain."
It is understood that Aketuobieke Township's Akajiavillage was one of the hardest-hit villages in the earthquake. By 2 PM that day, a total of 768 households in Aketuobieke Township had varying degrees of cracks in their houses, resulting in 685 dangerous houses, 33 severely damaged dangerous houses, and 10 collapsed houses, with economic losses amounting to approximately 2.3 million yuan.