These photos show the smiling faces of tireless Chinese firefighters who were left smokey and soot-covered after battling a bush fire for nearly 100 hours.
Images showing relieved, exhausted but cheerful members of the fire service have been trending online under the hashtag ‘Tibet forest firefighters’ most beautiful smokey makeup’.
According to Chinese state media, 3,495 firemen took part in the 96-hour rescue effort, which began after a small wood caught fire on 14th April.
During the four-day battle in the city of Nyingchi, which is in China’s south-western Tibet Autonomous Region, firefighters from regional capital Lhasa and neighbouring provinces were brought in to assist.
On the third day of the battle against the growing blaze, Nyingchi Meteorological Bureau took advantage of favourite weather conditions and executed three rounds of cloud seeding.
Later the same afternoon, it rained and then hailed, providing relief to firefighters on the ground, reports said.
The final embers of the blaze were put on at 5pm Beijing time on 18th April.
No casualties were reported in the bush fire, with firefighters receiving praise for putting their lives on the line as their pictures trend on social media.
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Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
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