Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Girl pulled from quake rubble after 50 hours

(CNN) -- A frightened schoolgirl was pulled safely from the rubble of a school dormitory Wednesday evening, 50 hours after she was buried by Monday's earthquake, state-run media said.

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A volunteer helps a woman walking away from Mianzhu city in Sichuan province.

In a weak voice, the trapped girl called out to one of the rescuers, "uncle, save me, save me," her uncle said. "If anything [bad] had happened to her, the voice could haunt me for the rest of my life."

More than 4.3 million homes collapsed or sustained damage, according to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, and the official death toll from the quake had reached 14,866 by Wednesday evening. But casualty figures from various cities indicate a higher number of dead.

The state-run Xinhua news agency has provided death tolls for eight communities in Sichuan province that add up to nearly 20,000, including roughly 7,700 who perished in the town of Yingxiu, near the earthquake's epicenter. CNN cannot independently confirm the tallies.

According to the official figures, more than 30,000 people are missing, more than 25,000 are buried in rubble, and about 65,000 were injured in Monday's 7.9-magnitude quake centered on Wenchuan county in Sichuan province.

Premier Wen Jiabao on Thursday ordered 90 more helicopters for rescue missions in Sichuan province, state-run media reported.

Since the 7.9-magnitude quake struck Monday, China has dispatched 20 choppers for dropping food and water, transporting the injured and delivering rescuers, Xinhua reported. Thursday's order brings the total to 110.

Rescuers continued their attempts to save those trapped beneath the rubble at schools, businesses and homes.

The girl rescued at Muyu Middle School in Qingchuan County, Sichuan province, was among 89 children pulled from the rubble alive. At least 201 students were killed when the building collapsed while many were napping, according to China.org.

Rescuers were searching for an unspecified number still believed to be trapped.

Wang Guangfen, a nurse, climbed under a cement slab to give medicine to the girl, He Cuiqing, while other rescuers carefully shifted slabs until they could remove the girl.

"She appeared very fragile, and there were blood stains on her chest," China.org, quoted Wang saying. "But she was still conscious and called me aunt when I reached her."

One of the Chinese cities slammed by the devastating earthquake that has killed tens of thousands is becoming a refugee camp for survivors.

Thousand of people uprooted by the quake have headed for Mianyang, where the city's main sports gym and other facilities have been converted into rescue centers.

Men, women and children -- numbed and overwhelmed by the sudden tragedy -- sit huddled in the huge stadium as truckloads of aid and private donations, such as water, food and clothes, roll in. Video Watch a report from the Mianyang stadium »

Chinese companies, such as TV set-maker Changhong, located in Mianyang, are helping the refugees, Xinhua reports. Some companies are ordering their staffers to cook for the homeless and have provided supplies, such as batteries and flashlights.

Both the displaced and aid convoys have had to fend with closed-off roads, damaged by the quake and engulfed by landslides. Many downtown residents are sleeping in tents.

Reports say 7,395 people have been killed and 18,645 are reported trapped in debris in the city. Among those trapped were about 1,000 students in the rubble of a middle school.

Xinhua said 20,000 people are living in several rescue and aid centers, and more than 1,000 volunteers are helping them.

It reported that "upward of 20,000 people, including soldiers, armed police, and paramilitary personnel, are carrying out relief operations in the quake-stricken areas of Mianyang." Xinhua said 17 medical teams and 3,000 volunteers are helping.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who is leading rescue and recovery operations, visited the city Wednesday while touring a number of badly hit areas.

During another visit, to a school in Shifang where more than 100 children were trapped beneath rubble, Wen promised that saving lives was a top priority.

"We will put our best efforts forward to save all those alive who can be saved," he said. "This disaster has all tested us. We all have to band together and have confidence and push forward."

More than 30,000 people are "missing or out of reach" in Shifang, where local government officials told Xinhua the city's death toll exceeded 2,500.

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An ammonia leak from a collapsed chemical plant in the city was plugged Wednesday, Xinhua reported.

The agency also reported that a dam near the epicenter of the earthquake was safe and stable after earlier reports that it was damaged and that a breach could swamp Dujiangyan City down river.

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我是在1996年12月29日受洗加入耶穌基督後期聖徒教會. 我在此留下我對這復興的福音的見證,我知道約瑟斯密確實是神的先知; 藉由約瑟斯密,神復興了耶穌基督的教會即耶穌基督後期聖徒教會; 摩爾門經是耶穌基督的另一部約書,與聖經共同見證耶穌是基督.而我們今日仍有一位活著的先知,多馬孟蓀會長 I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on December 29, 1996. I know that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God. The Book of Mormon is indeed Another Testament of Jesus Christ. We have a living prophet today, even President Thomas S. Monson.

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