By Du Shu (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-06-07 11:24

Yuan Yi was so excited that she burst into tears when she heard that unforgettable voice, which encouraged her when she was buried under a collapsed building after the 8-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province.

Fire fighters from Weifang of Shandong province carry out an rescue mission in the rubbles of a collapsed building in quake-hit Sichuan Province. [chinadaily.com.cn/Photo provided by the fire fighting detachment of the public security bureau of Weifang]

"Even though I have never seen you, I can recognize your voice. You saved my life," Yuan told fire fighters from Weifang of East China's Shandong province during a telephone call.

The 20-year-old woman managed to get into contact with her saviors on Thursday and pour her gratitude to those heroes who pulled her out from the rubbles in the quake epicenter Yingxiu town of Wenchuan.

Yuan was rescued after being buried for 104 hours and her left leg was amputated. She is now receiving medical treatment in the General Hospital of the Chengdu Military Command Area.

"I learnt from television that the channel I was in was destroyed by an aftershock just 20 minutes after I was rescued. You risked your own lives in order to save me. I am really grateful for that," Yuan told the fire fighters.

Cheng Zhongfeng (front left) and other fire fighters from Weifang of Shandong province take part the rescue mission in quake-hit Yingxu town of Sichuan province.  [chinadaily.com.cn/Photo provided by the fire fighting detachment of the public security bureau of Weifang]

Cheng Zhongfeng, one of the rescuers told Yuan: "It is our duty. We are very happy to see your braveness. By such a spirit, you can overcome all the difficulties in the future."

During the 9-hour rescue mission, Yuan's kindness and braveness deeply moved the fire fighters.

"Her knees were tightly pressed by an iron bed. It was very painful. However, she said she was not afraid of the pain and told us to do whatever we should do," Cheng told reporters at a press conference on Friday.

When we talked with her in the rubble, she said she would live well for her parents, Cheng added.

Since the quake struck on May 12, Shandong province have sent 771 fire fighters from 14 cities, such as Weifang, Qingdao, Taian and Jinan to the quake zone. They pulled out 130 people from the rubbles, with 66 of them alive.