This is the heartwarming moment soldiers rescued a golden retriever buried under rubble for more than 30 hours after a devastating earthquake struck China.
At least 148 people have died after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck northwestern China on Monday, causing tens of millions in damage to the agricultural and fishing sectors.
These images show a poor dog stuck in the mud, completely trapped under piles of concrete.
But after the owner heard him barking under the rubble of their destroyed home in Minhe Hui and Tu, China's Qinghai province, he immediately contacted rescuers.
Smartphone footage recorded almost 30 hours after the earthquake shows rescuers reaching under a cement slab and pulling out the dehydrated animal, much to the delight of locals.
This is the moment a sweet dog was rescued from the rubble by a group of soldiers
The golden retriever got stuck in the mud after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck China
The rescuers used shovels and iron bars to dig out a narrow opening in the rubble, clearing the mud to maintain an accessible passage.
After several hours of arduous efforts, they managed to safely rescue the golden retriever.
After the successful rescue mission, the animal was taken to a nearby veterinary clinic for medical attention.
The footage, which was shared on China's version of TikTok, Douyin, moved social media users who praised the rescuers for their brave act.
One user wrote: 'The Earth doesn't belong to humans alone. Search and rescue dogs save people, and armed police soldiers save dogs. This is how the world should be.”
Another said: 'Rescuers, you have worked hard. You are the best people and true heroes. I greet you! It's really amazing that a dog is so strong. Make sure you treat it right.”
A third also added: 'This is the greatest kindness people can show animals!'
A look at the rescued dog pulled from the mud after the powerful earthquake
It is estimated that almost 1,000 people were injured and more than 14,000 homes were destroyed after the earthquake.
CGTN, the international arm of China's state broadcaster, said on Friday evening that the first batch of 500 temporary housing units had been built for residents of Meipo, a village in Gansu.
Many had spent the night in shelters set up in the area as temperatures fell well below freezing. Funerals were held, some of which followed the Islamic traditions of much of the population in the affected area.
Most earthquakes in China occur in the western part of the country, including the provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan, as well as in the Xinjiang region and Tibet. The latest earthquake was the deadliest in the country in nine years.