Cold Snap, Warm Care: Shanghai Steps Up Street Rescue

Caption: Rescue workers patrol the streets.

Shanghai has been hit by a sharp cold snap in recent days, but the city's care for its most vulnerable has only grown stronger.

Following snowfall and plunging temperatures yesterday, authorities launched immediate street patrols to look for homeless people, reported Jiefang Daily.

Rescue workers set out in vehicles stocked with padded jackets, quilts and food. Their first stop was an overpass near Yan'an Road W. and Kaixuan Road, an area previously flagged by hotline calls, but no one was found.

Under a bridge at Jiangsu Road N. and Wanhangdu Road, more than a dozen food delivery riders were gathered. Rescue workers checked for information, handed out contact cards and repeatedly urged them to report anyone bedding down outdoors as temperatures continued to fall.

Caption: Rescue workers found an elderly woman sitting alone on a bench in the cold.

Shortly after 9pm, rescue workers found an elderly woman sitting alone on a bench near a supermarket on Huangxing Road. Exposed to the cold with only a thin mat beneath her, she initially hesitated but eventually agreed to enter the rescue vehicle after gentle persuasion.

The city's assistance stations had already prepared for the cold wave, stocking winter "warmth kits" and ensuring heating and hot-water systems were fully operational. At the Yangpu rescue station, the woman was given hot food, warm drinks and a hot shower before being settled into a room for the night.

Caption: The elderly woman was settled into a room for the night.

According to official figures, between 7am on January 19 and 7pm on January 20, municipal and district rescue teams assisted 105 people facing temporary hardship, including 66 who received in-station support and 39 aided directly on the streets.

As the cold weather continues, Shanghai's rescue network is stepping up patrols around transport hubs, commercial areas, bridges, underpasses, parks and abandoned buildings. Even when individuals decline shelter, workers provide winter supplies and maintain follow-up contact. Services also extend beyond basic necessities to include psychological support, help with returning home and employment referrals.