Village official recalls earthquake aftermath

Two township officials had already arrived ahead of her to assess the situation.

"As soon as I heard the villagers were safe, I felt so relieved," said the 28-year-old.

However, many houses had collapsed or sustained major cracks. Seeing the devastation, some villagers burst into tears, asking her what to do next. "I told them that as long as lives were safe, everything else could be rebuilt," she said, adding that the government and the Communist Party of China would help them recover.

Kelsang Drolma quickly organized relief efforts. She visited households to assess damage to homes and livestock and worked to restore normalcy.

Continuous aftershocks on Jan 7 and 8, along with falling rocks in the mountainous terrain, posed ongoing risks to residents' safety and property.

"After careful planning, we evacuated 42 residents, mostly elderly people and children, to a resettlement site near the primary school," she said.

She arranged for 24 villagers to care for the livestock and set up 10 additional tents with quilts, winter jackets, beds, heaters and other necessities. "Currently, food, shelter and heating at the settlement site are ensured, and residents can sleep safely in the temporary shelters," she said.

Eighteen households were relocated to the township primary school, where 13 tents were set up. There were no casualties or missing persons in the village.

"I was on duty for seven consecutive days with little sleep, which was exhausting," she said.

"But when we visited residents' tents, they would express their gratitude by offering us hot butter tea. That made me feel proud of what we were doing."