Chinese delivery man falls asleep on bike and dies after 18-hour shift

In another case that puts light on working conditions of delivery agents, the tragic death of a 55-year-old Chinese delivery man, who passed away after falling asleep on his bike after enduring gruelling 18-hour workdays has caught attention of many, leading to discussions, reported South China Morning Post.

The incident was brought to the public’s attention through a widely circulated online video on September 6.

As per the footage, food delivery worker Yuan died while resting on his electric bike after a taxing day of fulfilling multiple orders, said the report.


The report further quotes a witness that Yuan had been at his post from about 9pm on September 5 until he was discovered at 1am the following morning by another delivery driver. An insider, known as Yang Yang, shared with Zonglan News that Yuan had earned a reputation for his relentless work ethic, which earned him the nickname “Order King”.

Returned to work after fracture:
Another of Yuan’s colleagues, who goes by the pseudonym Zhao Hua, told Dingduan News that a month before his death, Yuan had suffered a leg fracture in a traffic accident while delivering an order.

He rested for about 10 days before returning to work, and then two weeks later the tragedy happened.

On September 9, in response to the tragedy, the Xianlin Sub-district Office in Yuhang district released an official statement confirming 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 sparked public outrage online.