Words of love and miraculous moments

2:28PM, May 12, 2008, Sichuan Province, southwestern China - - a day of tragedy and death, the birth of courage and heroes.

The depth of the Sichuan earthquake tragedy seems never ending, but amid it all amazing stories continue to emerge. Many, reported in the Chinese media, are now being translated into other languages. Fei Lai and Nie Xin compiled these from www.sichuan-earthquake.org and some Chinese Websites.

Grandma, father shield granddaughter with their bodies

At about 3:30pm on May 13, it was raining heavily. The rescue team was told a baby was heard crying from the ruins of a collapsed house in Luoshui Town, Shifang City.

The captain of the team, He Yan, rushed to the site with another four rescuers. At the site, they could hear a faint cry from the rubble. They quickly dug a passage and cleared away the debris. After 40 minutes they saw an unforgettable sight.

A girl, about 2 years old, was waving her small hands about with a dazed and exhausted look in her eyes. Above her was an old woman and a man. The man's body was badly battered, holding up a broken beam. The old woman's head was drooping lifelessly, but her hands were still clasping the young girl.

There was no time for He to wipe his tears away. He grabbed the little girl, who was barely breathing, and ran to medical staff.

It is believed the old woman was the little girl's grandmother and the man the girl's father.