She power: Chen Yuan and her rescue team

 The video is dedicated to International Women's Day. By Liu Xudong

On Feb. 19, 2023, many residents gathered at Shenzhen Bay Checkpoint to welcome volunteers of the Shenzhen Rescue Volunteers Federation (SRVF), who just returned from Türkiye. The city treated them with honor.

Chen Yuan (2nd R) poses for a photo with her teammates in Türkiye.

On Feb. 6, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Türkiye. The Shenzhen Rescue Volunteers Federation quickly responded and organized a rescue team to participate in the rescue operations in Türkiye. Chen Yuan was the leader of the Shenzhen rescue team.

Chen Yuan talks to Shenzhen Daily after returning from Türkiye.

After returning to Shenzhen, Shenzhen Daily interviewed Chen at the federation’s office. During the interview, we observed her courage, kindness and compassion, as well as her ability to remain objective, rational and composed as the rescue team’s leader.

Chen Yuan (2nd R) at work during the rescue operation in Türkiye.

The emergency rescue profession has seen many women as capable as Chen in its ranks. They possess robust physical abilities, comprehensive rescue knowledge, proficient rescue skills and strong psychological resilience.

                             Chen Yuan during a rescue operation in quake-hit Türkiye. 

Like many of Chen’s team members, she has faced significant devastation and difficulties during her first trip to Türkiye.

Team members of Shenzhen Rescue Volunteers Association in a rescue operation in quake-hit Türkiye. Courtesy of SRVA

As a nongovernmental rescue team from Shenzhen, Chen Yuan and her team members exhibited remarkable competency and coordination skills throughout the international rescue operation.

They performed various tasks such as technical and manual searches, demolishing and removing rubble, and operating heavy machinery. Their efforts resulted in the successful rescue of three trapped individuals and the recovery of 10 bodies from beneath the rubble.