By Ren Ke

A team of firemen were digging out survivors from a collapsed teaching block at a school when they were ordered to withdraw as an aftershock jolted the debris. Some shouted that they had found other child survivors, and tried to rush back to the site, but suddenly it collapsed.

"Please let me save one more! I can save another one, please!" cried one young fireman who had saved a child minutes earlier. He fell on his knees, crying out desperately while others tried to drag him away to safety.

But there was really nothing left to do but cry, as another cement slab fell down from the debris.

It was a scene in Mianzhu county of southwest China’s Sichuan province, 80 km from Wenchuan county, the epicentre of an 8.0 magnitude earthquake that jolted most of China and even some neighbouring countries May 12.

In the 100,000-sq km disaster-hit area, the tragedies that separate the living and the dead are always on show.

Officials say well over 55,000 people have been killed.

Facing the most catastrophic disaster in China since the Tangshan earthquake that killed some 240,000 people in 1976, Chinese people around the country — firemen, soldiers, armed policemen, doctors and ordinary citizens — have been eager to help with the disaster relief work.

In Qushan Elementary School in the county seat of Beichuan, a group of 200 policemen from Tianjin, a municipality in north China, have been busy digging out survivors since May 13.

A fifth-grader, Zhang Li, was sitting in front of the door of the collapsed classroom shouting, "Help me, uncles!" Beside him lay the remains of his classmates. In another ruin, a boy crushed under floorboards stretched out his fingers — and kept groaning.

Beichuan County, about 160 km northeast of Wenchuan, was one of the hardest hit areas, with a death toll of 8,400 plus. About 80 per cent of the buildings collapsed in the old town area and nearly 60 per cent were levelled in the new town.

Policemen saved more than 400 victims within 24 hours. However, as landslides blocked the roads, heavy equipment could not be delivered to the area. Policemen had to rescue the victims with simple tools such as shovels and drills.

Two days after the quake a group of firemen from the neighbouring Shaanxi province arrived with electric saws and clamps. Still, they often found themselves helpless to save the survivors trapped in the rubble.

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

The epicentre was on the southwestern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The mountainous and remote nature of the region, as well as bad weather and landslides, kept rescuers from reaching Wenchuan for 24 hours.

Communications broke down, and there was no electricity or drinking water. It became an isolated island.

In Xuankou Middle School of Wenchuan, student Wang Song waited for two days after the tremor. He was desperate until he saw two helicopters hovering above his head, dropping biscuits, mineral water and ham.

"I saw hope at that moment," said Wang Song, "Some fellow students hailed loudly, some others cried out. Everyone was excited."

The Chinese air force has been mobilized to drop food, tents and other relief materials for the victims. At the same time, parachute troops landed at the epicentre region. It was the debut for the Chinese paratroopers in disaster relief operations.

Numerous trains, trucks and planes are heading for Sichuan, where more than 100,000 soldiers and 70 plus generals of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army are carrying out search and rescue missions.

Rescuers removed the blocks on the roads to Wenchuan, enabling large equipment to enter.

In other parts of China, the earthquake and relief efforts have gripped hearts.

Wenchuan, Qingchuan and Beichuan, once unknown, became familiar names overnight. On Beijing’s buses, passengers are watching the mobile TV broadcasting the latest news from Sichuan. Some burst into tears at the horrible loss of lives and property.