At Yingxiu Township, at the quake's epicenter in Wenchuan County, a man was successfully rescued after being buried for 147 hours. Gui Xiaozeng reports on this miracle of life amidst grief and desperation.
At Yingxiu Township, at the quake's epicenter in Wenchuan County, a man was successfully rescued after being buried for 147 hours.
At 3pm on Sunday, 53-year-old Shen Peiyun was successfully pulled out from four meters of debris by a group of rescue workers from the National Earthquake Rescue Team and some armed police from Jiangxi Province. The whole operation took eight hours.
Yang Zhanyu, doctor Southwest Hospital, said, "It was very dangerous inside because of a whole string of aftershocks. The debris could have collapsed any time as we dug in."
Shen Peiyun was still conscious when rescued. He asked the doctors how long he had been buried. To give him strength to live on, Shen was told that it had only been two days since the earthquake struck.
Yang Zhanyu said, "There was space for him to move his upper body. So when we passed him a tube connected to a bottle with medical liquid, he quickly grabbed it and put it in his mouth."
On the sidelines to watch this miraculous rescue were Shen Peiyun's relatives. They stood by without giving up any hope.
Shen Peiyun's wife, said, "I called his mobile again and again. The power was never turned off."
Shen Peiyun's wife, said,"He held on for so long without giving up. So I believe he'll recover soon. I really want to say thank you to the doctors and soldiers who saved him."
Doctors say although Shen's condition is currently stable, it's still too early to say whether he'll recover entirely.
Yang Zhanyu said, "Some soft tissue in his body has been damaged beyond help. We need to clear these up before determining whether there was any damage to his internal organs."
With united efforts and a spirit determined never to give up, rescue workers are bringing hope and help to the many victims of this deadly disaster.
(CCTV May 20, 2008)