Amid all the suffering and pain caused by Sunday’s earthquake in Yunnan Province, some stories are coming out that are full of hope and demonstrate the incredible efforts of rescue workers and survivors. At the epicenter of the quake, an 88-year-old woman was pulled out of the rubble after being buried for about 50 hours, and later on a three-year-old boy was pulled from the wreckage.
![In the very epicenter of the quake, an 88-year-old woman was pulled out of the rubble after being buried for about 50 hours.](/upimg/allimg/140807/042Z23513-0.jpg)
In the very epicenter of the quake, an 88-year-old woman was pulled out of the rubble after being buried for about 50 hours.
The clock is ticking for rescue workers as they rush to find those lost in the rubble days after the earthquake hit Yunnan Province. But the workers and soldiers are not wasting any time. When reporters reached the spot where 88-year-old Xiong Zhengfen was buried in two floors’ worth of debris, soldiers had already carved out a hole through the first layer.
When Xiong was trapped, her family members did not know where she was. She called out and got the attention of rescuers.
"The voice was coming from down there, so we opened a hole in the area. It was the best place to rescue her," said military rescue leader Zhang Yuhu.
Xiong was buried in what used to be a two story building made of mud, wood and cement. Once a 30-centimeter-wide hole was dug, medics immediately fed Xiong glucose through a tube. Tape had to be put over her eyes to protect them from the sudden brightness of the daylight..
"It’s been five hours since 12:30. We can’t dig too fast, but we have to go through layer by layer to make sure the rubble doesn’t crumble," said soldier Lin Jiahua.
Finally, six hours after she was found, Xiong was saved and reunited with her family. This doctor at the scene said that her blood pressure was normal and stable. Xiong was later sent to the city hospital in Zhaotong, where she is reported to be in stable condition.
Elsewhere in the village, a three-year-old boy was also found trapped in rubble. One of his hands was caught by a fallen sofa that was lodged against a pillar. The pain was taking its toll on the boy, causing him to lose consciousness.
"Kid, don’t fall asleep. You’ll see your mom soon. Don’t sleep. Look over here!" said a soldier.
A lifting jack was sent to the scene, and with its help, the boy’s hand was pulled out. Because of the quick response of the rescue workers, there is no major of lasting damage to his hand.
These rescue stories are just two of the many coming out of the quake area. But the rescue workers and soldiers still much work to be done, and the clock is ticking.
![In the very epicenter of the quake, an 88-year-old woman was pulled out of the rubble after being buried for about 50 hours](/upimg/allimg/140807/042Z2E55-1.jpg)
In the very epicenter of the quake, an 88-year-old woman was pulled out of the rubble after being buried for about 50 hours |