A ceremony was held on Thursday in the city of Xichang, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, to mourn the 30 people who sacrificed their lives in fighting a deadly forest fire on March 30.
The ceremony was held at the largest square of the city. More than 3,000 people, including the families of the deceased, firefighters, medical workers and officials, attended the ceremony in honor the 30 people, including 27 firefighters of the Xichang city fire department, a local forestry official, a forest ranger and a villager.
The ceremony started at around 10:40, with a silent tribute. After the delivery of a memorial, people put flowers in front of the portraits.
With tears in eyes, many local people voluntarily gathered around the square to show their condolences and deep respect.
The national flags was flying at half-mast in the city of Xichang and the county of Muli where the deadly fire broke out and all public entertainment activities were suspended.
“I just want to give them a bow,” said Huang, a local resident.
“We went to the funeral parlor three times. We presented a wreath yesterday. We have come again today to say farewell to them. Though they are not our children, they are dearer than our own kith and kin. Really, it is such people who are bold and daring and ready to contribute the country and people that have made our life peaceful and secure. It’s really heartbreaking to see them, really,” said Wang, another resident.
The Ministry of Emergency Management put up a sub-venue for the mourning ceremony in Beijing.