Video capturing Chinese firefighter eating in rain during flood relief goes viral

A firefighter who was filmed eating in heavy rain during work breaks while dealing with the flood disaster in southwestern China has gone viral and touched millions of people on social media.A video taken by a passer-by in Guigang, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, circulated widely online, featuring Liang Huan, a firefighter from a station in Zhaoqing, southern Guangdong province.At noon on July 9, during a break between tasks, Liang opened a lunchbox to eat. However, a sudden downpour forced him to hold his meal with one hand while wiping rain from his face with the other, according to a viral clip reported by the Guangzhou Daily.Liang, above, thanked the public for their well wishes after a viral video of him surfaced online, adding that he never expected such a massive response. Photo: CCTVLiang was seated on some flotation jackets on a road, and left some food on a big bottle that firefighters use to carry clean water.Not far away, several firefighters were resting on the ground, and a soldier was distributing lunchboxes.Liang and his colleagues were deployed from Guangdong to neighbouring Guangxi to help local residents cope with the flood.In early July, Guangxi was hit by a serious flood caused by the typhoon Maysak, with rain in many regions reaching a historical high.By the end of July 9, 39 people had died in the flood, and another nine were missing. The authorities said about 380,000 residents were affected by the disaster.An aerial view shows areas flooded by Tropical Storm Maysak near Liujia Village in Qinzhou, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on July 7, 2026. Photo: Ao Shuaichang/Xinhua via APGuigang is one of the places most severely affected by the flood.The task for Liang’s team was to evacuate students and teachers of Dajiang International School in Gangbei district.Liang gulped down some food quickly before throwing himself to work again, the report said.He and his colleagues had been engaged in rescue work around the clock for several days, Liang said.Further Reading“A kind-hearted internet user took the video of me and shared it online. I did not expect that so many people would care about me and send good wishes. I am incredibly thankful to the public. I feel their warmth in my heart,” Liang was quoted as saying.Liang and his colleagues were deployed from Guangdong to neighbouring Guangxi to assist residents with flood relief. Photo: QQ.com“If we can evacuate residents a minute earlier, then they will be safer one minute earlier. No matter how tired we are, it is all worth it for us.“We will continue working on the rescue front lines and we will go all-out to protect each of you,” Liang said.The video quickly became an online sensation, sparking a wave of praise from mainland Chinese internet users.“I feel sorry for him eating in the rain. Salute to these rescuing frontline soldiers!” one internet user said.“I am moved to tears by this handsome and great young man. Firefighters like Liang Huan are the pride of our nation. We are grateful for them. I hope they return safely from each task,” commented another person.