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Alice Yan

The tragic death of a junior Chinese customs officer on the Sino-Nepal border, who had only been in her position for four days before being killed in a catastrophic mudslide, has stirred immense heartbreak online.
Twenty-four-year-old Li Leiyang began her role as a plant quarantine officer at the Customs at Gyirong Port in Tibet on August 21, according to a report by news portal 163.com.
On August 26, while Li was working at her desk, a glacier collapsed in Nepal, triggering a mudslide and floods that travelled 22km in just seven minutes, devastating the Gyirong Port area. This disaster destroyed 27 structures, including the Customs building where Li was located, along with roads and facilities.
The aftermath left only the steel framework of the Customs building, as seen in photographs taken after the event.

To date, 31 deaths have been confirmed in China’s Tibet region, primarily in the severely impacted Gyirong Port area, while 1,344 people have lost their lives in Nepal. Additionally, thousands remain unaccounted for on both sides of the border.
As search and rescue operations are ongoing, a rescue team leader dispatched from Sichuan province to assist his counterparts in Tibet, informed Beijing Daily on August 29 that their equipment had not detected any signs of life in the affected area.
Li is among the 541 people missing on the Chinese side whose bodies have yet to be recovered.
On September 1, the Gyirong Port Customs authority held a morning ceremony to honour their lost colleagues.
Her death captivated millions of internet users in China after they learned of her long and challenging journey to secure the position, which she enjoyed for only four days.
Li hailed from a rural family in Anhui province in eastern China. She earned an associate degree from Anhui University of Applied Technology, a relatively unknown institution in the region. After years of hard work to improve her educational background, she was admitted to Anhui Agricultural University, from which she graduated with a bachelor’s degree.

Li then successfully passed the demanding graduate school entrance exam for the prestigious China Agricultural University (CAU) in Beijing, from which she graduated months ago with a master’s degree in resource utilisation and plant protection.
To secure a position at Customs, regarded by many as an “iron bowl profession,” Li took the highly competitive public servant enrolment test, scoring first among 2,000 applicants.
In a social media post announcing its new staff members, the Gyirong Port Customs authority shared that Li described herself as a “hard-working and courageous person with a stable mood.” Her hobbies included planting flowers, reading, and playing with cats and dogs.
“As a new member of the Customs, I will seriously fulfil my duty as a plant quarantine officer. My love for this land will motivate me to work hard in safeguarding the biological safety line at our country’s border,” Li wrote in her introduction.
Her younger sister shared on social media that Li had once promised to take their parents on a trip to Beijing during the Spring Festival holiday next year.

“We never expected that after working for only four days, we would no longer be able to reach you by phone. Our parents and I are waiting for you at home,” her sister lamented. “It is difficult to secure a government job. Who would have imagined that your first salary would also be your pension?”
Li’s story has sparked a significant outpouring of emotional responses from internet users in China.
“Her entire life was spent preparing for exams. She only experienced the joy of life for four days. Her life is so tragic!” lamented one internet user.
Another echoed: “Fate is too cruel to her. I feel deeply sorry for her. Rest in peace, girl.”


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Junior Chinese customs officer killed in mudslide just 4 days into job deeply moves public

The heartbreaking tale of a junior customs officer, Li Leiyang, who tragically lost her life in the recent mudslide at the China-Nepal border just four days into her new role, has deeply affected the public. Photo: SCMP composite/Sina

Amid mudslide rescue efforts, a Chinese PLA medical unit disinfects the disaster-stricken area around Gyirong Port in Shigatse, Tibet autonomous region, as seen on September 3, 2026. Photo: cnsphoto via Reuters   

After years of dedicated study, Li worked hard to bolster her educational qualifications before attaining her position with customs. Photo: Sina

A photograph of Li with a friend taken at a graduation event has circulated widely on social media, eliciting a strong emotional response from the Chinese internet community following her untimely passing. Photo: Sina

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Her younger sister shares a touching memory online, recalling Li’s promise to take parents to Beijing during next Spring Festival holiday


Her younger sister shares a touching memory online, recalling Li’s promise to take parents to Beijing during next Spring Festival holiday.


Accidents, extreme weather and disasters in China

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Junior Chinese customs officer killed in mudslide just 4 days into job deeply moves public

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Her younger sister shares a touching memory online, recalling Li’s promise to take parents to Beijing during next Spring Festival holiday

Her younger sister shares a touching memory online, recalling Li’s promise to take parents to Beijing during next Spring Festival holiday