Northeast China’s Jilin provincial government issued a decision Wednesday to give a first-class merit citation to Ding Hua, a police officer who risked his life to dispose of an ignited firebomb in Siping city in June.

An US-made firebomb used in wars in the late 1940s was unearthed at a construction site in the city around 5 am on June 14, according to a document released by the government.

When police arrived at the site, they even found smoke rising from the fuse of the 70-centimeter-long bomb, which had a diameter of 20 centimeters. Police cordoned off the area and evacuated residents in two nearby residential buildings.

After arriving at the site around 6:11 am, Ding checked the bomb and identified the type of the bomb with help from a military unit. Firefighters were then called in to cool the bomb before moving it to a detonation zone.

Moving the bomb to the detonation zone was considered the most dangerous step in the disposal process. Ding said, “I can do this, please let me do it alone. If anything unexpected occurs, let me handle it. Don’t make more people lose their lives.”

All the leaders and colleagues around him were deeply moved by his words.

When he tried to move the bomb with his hands, flames suddenly burst out and burned his hands. Instead of panicking, Ding kept calm, put the bomb on a vehicle and drove it to the detonation zone a dozen kilometers away.

The bomb was destroyed and it caused no casualties or loss to local property.

Ding has demolished tens of thousands of bombs and grenades in the past three decades. Having experienced a number of near-death risks, he is hailed as an expert in this area and widely recognized by local people and his colleagues.