A 55-year-old food delivery agent in China passed away while napping on his bike after enduring gruelling 18-hour shifts. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the incident took place earlier this month in eastern China’s Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The worker, identified as Yuan, was featured in a viral video that surfaced on Chinese social media platforms on September 6, drawing significant public attention to the harsh conditions faced by delivery drivers.
According to the report, the footage showed Yuan passing away while resting on his electric bike after a demanding day of handling numerous orders. A witness revealed that Yuan was at work from around 9 PM on September 5 and was found by a fellow delivery driver at 1 AM the following morning.
The outlet further reported that Yuan’s tireless dedication had earned him the nickname “Order King.” He typically made between 500 and 600 yuan (nearly between Rs 5, 900 to Rs 7,000) a day, with earnings exceeding 700 yuan on rainy days. “He would sometimes work until 3am, then rise at 6am to start again. When he felt fatigued, he would take a brief nap on his bike, ready to return to work as soon as an order came in,” SCMP quoted a person close to the delivery driver as saying.
His colleague revealed that a month prior to his death, Yuan had sustained a leg fracture in a traffic accident while delivering an order. Yuan took about 10 days off to recover before returning to work. He had relocated from Hubei province in central China to Hangzhou in order to support his 16-year-old son, who has been studying in the city.
The Xianlin Sub-district Office in Yuhang district released an official statement on September 9 regarding the tragedy. It confirmed that Yuan had “collapsed and died despite emergency treatment.” “The food delivery platform, the insurance company, and the family have reached an agreement. Follow-up arrangements are being carried out in an orderly manner,” the announcement stated.
The incident has ignited a widespread public outrage online, many people voicing concerns about the welfare and legal rights of delivery drivers. One commenter in frustration wrote, “Another ‘Order King’ has fallen. Is there really no way to avoid these tragedies?” Another noted, “He was in his 50s, the sole breadwinner of his family, working day and night. May he rest in peace. I hope in his next life, he will not have to race against time like this.”
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