In the cold night, genuine compassion saves lives; selfless love defines the people of Donggang.

On January 16, 2017, Mr. Zhou, the vehicle owner, and his wife brought two embroidered banners to the Donghai Special Steel office, hoping to express their heartfelt gratitude in person to the company’s Quality Control Department and the workers at the lime plant for saving their lives. They stated that, had it not been for these individuals, they would have perished—not from being crushed by a pile of quicklime, but from the bitter cold.
The incident occurred at around 1:30 a.m. on December 29, 2016. As usual, Master Zhou was driving his semi-trailer truck to Donghai Special Steel to deliver white limestone. When unloading, one of the cargo doors suddenly sprang open, and the cascading white limestone instantly buried him, leaving only his head and one arm exposed. Master Zhou struggled to call for help, but with few people around at the time, no one could hear him. Just as he was losing hope, Zhang Cuiling, a sampling worker at the company’s quality inspection station, noticed that the unloading truck had not yet left. She went to the scene and discovered Master Zhou buried beneath the material. Zhang Cuiling immediately alerted her colleagues from Shift C in Workshops Two and Three of the white‑lime plant, as well as Fang Shaochun from the Quality Control Department, who rushed to the site to begin the rescue.
At this point, Master Zhou had already been buried for more than an hour, his body extremely weak and his condition critically grave. Because the site was cramped and the truck could not be moved—any movement would cause the rocks on top to spill again, further burying him—the only option was a cautious, manual approach: clearing the stones pressing down on him by hand. A crisis is an order! Everyone immediately divided into three teams to launch the rescue. One team used shovels to remove the rocks beneath the driver; another cleared the debris above him and below his head with their hands; and a third provided illumination with cell phones and flashlights while reassuring and encouraging Master Zhou to stay strong and remain conscious. The temperature was well below freezing, yet no one felt the cold at all. Sweating profusely, everyone’s clothes were soaked through, and some even had their hands cut by the stones—yet no one stopped to tend to the wounds. After tireless efforts, by around 3:30 a.m., all the rocks weighing down on the driver had been cleared, and he was successfully rescued. Due to the prolonged burial and the bitter cold, when he was pulled free, Master Zhou’s body was numb and he could not walk. Fang Zhenwang, foreman of Class C in Workshop No. 2 at the lime plant, disregarded his own exhaustion and, without a word, carried Master Zhou on his back to the shift‑room to rest. Master Zhou had lost his shoes, so Gao Dongcun, a belt‑conveyor worker from Team No. 2, handed him his own new cotton boots. Other caring coworkers also brought him hot water to warm him against the chill. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Master Zhou immediately offered cash to treat everyone to a meal, but his colleagues politely declined, saying, “As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters—this is what we should do.” Each face radiated profound happiness and pride.
On the very day the banner was presented, it happened to coincide with the shift change of the worker who had taken part in the rescue. Master Zhou was unable to hand the banner to them personally. Gripping the hand of Liu, the factory director of the White‑Gray Plant, he said with deep emotion: “The kind-hearted people at Donghai Special Steel have given him a second chance at life. He will always cherish this warmth and pass it on, bringing comfort to many others in need.”
A fertile land nurtures its people; under the humanistic guidance of our company’s leadership, more and more good deeds and exemplary individuals have emerged. With everyone united and pulling together, fueled by this positive energy, we are confident that the company will continue to thrive and achieve even greater success!

Note: List of rescuers: Zhang Cuiling, Fang Shaochun, Fang Zhenwang, He Wendong, Yang Jigang, Zhao Chengmin, Qian Baoqin, Gao Dongcun, Qian Zhenman, Jiang Xiaofeng, Geng Gengmai, Jiang Zhongshan.