Flood-prevention expert dies on frontline

Gan Lei was the deputy head of Gangkou town of Ningguo city, Anhui province. He died on the frontline of the fight against flooding at the age of 44.

With a dark complexion and plain clothes, Gan devoted his life to safeguarding his hometown as well as the numerous families there through his expertise and spirit of selflessness.

Gangkou is situated in an area with interconnected rivers and lakes, which puts the town under great pressure from flooding during rainy seasons. Working on the frontline for years, Gan knew all the potential risk areas on dykes and was hailed as "an expert on removing hidden dangers".

"He was familiar with each flood discharge channel and each path of the countryside," said Huang Jian, a colleague of Gan.

Before sacrificing himself, Gan had been working days and nights on the dyke, checking water levels, screening for hidden dangers, and dredging flood discharge channels.

He died of a sudden disease while on the frontline on June 16. He did not make it to celebrate the Aug 19 birthday of his daughter, who had just taken part in the national college entrance exams.