(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-05-15 12:56

WENCHUAN, Sichuan - Xiang Xiaolian, a 13-year-old girl, murmured: "The boy clawed me out with his bare hands," as she lay in bed at the No.1 Hospital affiliated to the West China Medical University.

Xiang was in class at the Xuankou Middle School when the 7.8-magnitude quake hit Wenchuan County on Monday.

Xuankou is a boarding school, and more than 1,200 teachers and students fled to the mountains after the quake. How many were killed is not known.

The total death toll from the quake around southwestern China has been confirmed to be about 15,000.

"The whole building swayed as we were in chemistry class; the teacher asked us to run from the third floor classroom," recalled Xiang, who was buried by a cement slab and lost consciousness.

Time passed and when Xiang re-awakened, she could sense the light but fainted again. The next time she awakened, it was dark. "I knew it was night then," she said

"I missed my parents," said Xiang, adding that "I had to see them again before I died." Xiang fell into a coma.

HE CLAWED ME OUT WITH BARE HANDS

Xiang was awakened by the voice of Ma Jian, her classmate.

"Xiao Lian, where are you?" the boy shouted in the open air. "You must hold on," Ma encouraged her as he clawed at the rubble with his hands.

Xiang cried:"Don't leave me, Ma Jian, at least, not until after I die."

"I will not, you are the youngest in our class," Ma replied, digging.

Each time Xiang fell asleep, Ma would call out to her to wake up. After about four hours, Ma freed her. By then, his hands were badly hurt.

They both cried as she was freed, and Ma carried her on his back, out through the school gate.

The wall suddenly collapsed.

"If it had been a few minutes later, neither of us would have escaped," said Xiang.