Special report: Strong Earthquake Jolts SW China     

    by Xinhua writer Zhou Yan

    BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- President Hu Jintao flew to quake-ravaged Sichuan Province early on Friday, more than 80 hours after the most destructive earthquake in new China killed nearly 20,000 people there.

    This shows China's top leadership has not given up hope, although the "golden 72 hours" for survival defined by many experts is over.

Local residents light candles during a candle vigil of donation activity for the relief to the earthquake tored Sichuan Province in southwest China, in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, May 15, 2008.  (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    "If only there is the slightest hope, we will spare no effort; if only there is one survivor in the debris, we will never give up," Premier Wen Jiabao said over the debris of a collapsed school building where hundreds were buried.

    From top leaders to men in the street, from sweaty rescuers to dying victims, the entire Chinese nation is praying for miracles.

    Since Monday, thousands of lives were taken and as many were saved.

    My eyes blurred with tears when I saw on TV the survival of a 65-year-old man after 70 hours in the rubble of his home in Dujiangyan City near the epicenter. A People's Liberation Army soldier carried him all the way to the nearest ambulance, followed by his daughter who cried out hoarse thanks to everyone.

    No one cares about the man's name, or whether he is a peasant or a professor. All we care about is that he's back in the land of the living.

Rescuers clean out the debris pressing on a trapped middle school student Yang Hong in quake-striken Beichuan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 15, 2008.  (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    The man himself might not know how dozens of PLA soldiers worked for five and a half hours in the ruins -- some were bleeding themselves after they were injured by falling stones, triggered by aftershocks. But their pains paid off when the man was saved.

    The victims themselves never lost hope -- when the worst was over and one was either hardened or paralyzed by the pain and horror, the drive to live would almost always prevail.

    Two girls held hands in the ruins of their school and swore to each other they would never give up hope. When rescuers found them, one in a coma and the other dead, their hands were still clenched together.

    At the site of a collapsed kindergarten in Beichuan County, one of the worst-hit areas near Wenchuan, a preschooler hummed a nursery rhyme when rescuers carefully removed the layers of rubble from her legs.

    "I'm trying to forget the pain," she said.

Song Xinyi, a 3-year-old earthquake survivor, is saved in earthquake-hit Beichuan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 14, 2008. Song was saved after being buried in the ruins for more than 40 hours. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Even an 18-month-old toddler screamed "save mama, save papa" from the safety of a rescuer's arms. Her parents were both dead.

    Many babies were born during the quake, and most of their names reflect that. Given names like Zhensheng (born in the quake) and Yaoyao (rock) were bestowed to commemorate the significance of their births.

    As the song goes, "a ray of hope flickers in the sky, a tiny star lights up way up high. All across the land dawns a brand new morn. This comes to pass when a child is born."

    Miracles can always happen, where there is hope.

 

One more student rescued 80 hours after earthquake

    BEICHUAN COUNTY, Sichuan Province, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers have saved a student from the earthquake debris in Beichuan Middle School, 80 hours after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Beichuan town in southwest China's Sichuan Province Monday.

    Rescuers said they could still hear week yelling for help from under the collapsed building, and are expecting more miracles. Full story

60 hours to save 16 children, rescue mission in China's deadly earthquake

    SHIFANG, Sichuan, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The last child was out. She was alive. There were a total of 16 young survivors. No more than that.

    Rescuers sighed, partly sad, partly relieved, as they stood on the debris of the Yinghua Middle School amid the half-light of early Thursday morning after 60 hours of toil. Full story

Trapped teenagers sang pop songs while awaiting rescue from school ruins

    BEICHUAN, Sichuan, May 15 (Xinhua) -- A teenage girl has told how she and her classmates sang pop songs together as they lay trapped and injured in the ruins of their high school after the massive earthquake in southwest China on Monday.

    Li Anning, 16, was among 360 children pulled alive from the debris of the Beichuan No.1 Middle School, in Beichuan County, Sichuan Province, by noon on Thursday. More than 700 students are still feared buried. Full story