Rescued man 'kept faith'

Chinese rescuers pulled a survivor out of the rubble of a collapsed hotel on Wednesday in the city of Mandalay, Myanmar, more than 120 hours after a devastating magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck the Southeast Asian nation on March 28.

The 52-year-old survivor, an employee of the hotel, was in stable condition and receiving treatment in a hospital, authorities said.

The rescue came at a time past the critical 72-hour post-disaster rescue window and as temperatures in the city soared above 40 C.

The death toll from the earthquake was 3,301 as of Friday, with the figure expected to rise as the search for survivors continues.

Yue Xin, team leader of China Search and Rescue Team Operation Group, who arrived in Myanmar on March 30, took part in the man's rescue.

"We used our equipment to accurately detect signs of life in the collapsed building and continuously heard responses, eventually confirming that the survivor was at the bottom of the collapsed hotel structure," Yue said.

The eight-story Golden Village Hotel partially collapsed during the earthquake, with its bottom three floors crumbling and the top five remaining relatively intact. After technical assessments indicated that the site was safe for rescue operations in the absence of aftershocks, rescue teams moved in.

"After six consecutive days of high temperatures, the chances of finding survivors were very low," Yue said, adding that the Chinese rescue teams have been persistent in their efforts.

China's disaster relief command center coordinated the response, deploying rescue personnel, technical experts and medical teams, Yue said.

Rescuers decided to enter from the ground level and drill downward, using an endoscope specifically designed for earthquake rescue to locate the man.

"This survivor must have had good earthquake survival knowledge," Yue said. "He sheltered between two beds, which provided protection from falling debris and prevented serious injury. The space had some ventilation after the collapse, and he had a pot of water nearby, which was crucial for his survival."

After establishing contact with the man using a translator, the team provided him with a saline solution to boost his energy before extracting him.

"I am extremely grateful to the Chinese rescue team. I could hear their search efforts, which gave me the faith to survive," the man said.

At 5:40 pm on Wednesday, rescuers lifted him onto a stretcher and transported him to a hospital.

The China International Search and Rescue Team, a rescue team from Hong Kong and the Shenzhen Rescue Volunteers Federation also participated in the operation.

Other groups, including Blue Sky Rescue Team, have also been conducting search and rescue operations for more than 100 hours since arriving in Mandalay on March 30.

As of Thursday, Chinese teams had rescued nine trapped people in the quake's aftermath.

Resident Li Yanlin, whose house collapsed in the quake, and who is currently living by the banks of the ancient Mandalay Palace moat, expressed her gratitude to the rescue teams.

"Thank you, our Chinese friends. Whenever help is needed anywhere, you are the first to arrive," Li said.

"In recent days, we have seen Chinese volunteers in every street and alley, working day and night tirelessly in search and rescue efforts, and providing us with tents, food and water. Just now, they asked me if I needed anything, which made me feel very reassured," she said.

Mandalay's airport was destroyed in the quake, so rescue and relief teams have had to be bused in from Yangon, 12 hours away.

However, by Monday large quantities of Chinese rescue supplies, donations and medical teams had begun arriving, with various organizations coordinating aid distribution and post-disaster epidemic prevention efforts.

The Chinese embassy in Myanmar confirmed that as of 11 am on Friday, five Chinese citizens had been killed in the quake and 13 injured.