With the nation in shock from the deadly earthquake on Monday that claimed more than 14,000 lives, information from the epicenter of Wenchuan remained scarce, as the county in a valley had its communications entirely severed in the catastrophe.

As rescuers and Xinhua journalists finally made their way into the worst-hit region, the calamity there was brought to light.

"He protected students like an eagle"

When rescuers found the body of Zhang Miya, a teacher at the Yingxiu township primary school, they were astonished at his gesture.

The 29-year-old man knelt on debris, extending both arms to hug two students, like an eagle spreading its wings. On his back was some of the fallen wreckage of the building.

Under his arms, the children were alive.

The teacher was clutching his students so tightly, rescuers had to saw his arms off to pull out the children.

"Zhang saved his students at the price of his own life," said Tan Guoqiang, the 48-year-old headmaster of the school.

Zhang was a mathematics teacher who came to the school two years ago. His colleague, English teacher Mao Fangqin, said he was versatile and a good singer.

"His only relatives in Yingxiu were his wife Deng Xia, who was also a teacher in our school, and his 3-year-old son," Mao said.

Deng also died in the collapse of the school, and the son's body has been found in a local kindergarten.

"May they reunite in heaven and live happily ever after," Mao said.

"We waited on a hill for rescue"

Wang Song from the Xuankou Middle School in Yingxiu spent more than 40 hours on a hill with his classmates before they were evacuated by helicopters.

"We were having history class on the third floor when the quake hit," recalled the ninth-grader. "We rushed out desperately, hearing the school building collapse behind us."

After a trek of half an hour, the 1,200 students and teachers from 31 classes reached the top of a hill.

"We collected some wooden boards from toppled houses to make beds and borrowed boilers and rice from local farmers. Then we cooked in the wild and waited for rescue," Wang said.

"It was raining the other day and we squeezed under a shelter we made ourselves. Many people were soaked by the rain and were coughing, and the wounded had their injuries worsened," he added.

During the seemingly hopeless wait, teachers kept encouraging students with the promise that "rescue teams are coming soon."

On Wednesday morning, they saw the first helicopter. "Some people cheered, some cried, and I let out a sigh," Wang said.

He was later transferred by a helicopter to Shifang city near Deyang.

"Out of this place, hope is ahead"

Feng Yuanru, a 73-year-old grandfather, was sleeping on a bus to Dujiangyan, and it had just passed Xuankou when the quake woke him up.

"I thought it was a burst tire," he said, but the vehicle began to shake violently. "The sound of houses collapsing drove people to run for their lives," he recalled.

Feng remained in Xuankou for a day -- and then food and water began to run out. He made up his mind to walk to Dujiangyan and set off with one bamboo walking stick and a bit to drink.

"Rescue workers must have arrived at Dujiangyan," he thought hopefully. He had been on the road for seven hours when he encountered a reporter.

The old man described where he escaped from as "a hell"

Feng said: "Bodies were everywhere and many are still buried amid the debris, despite voluntary rescue work of local people. On Tuesday evening, people began to search for anything edible in the debris to allay their hunger."

Compared with many others on the move amid the chaos, Feng walked quite slowly, supporting himself with the stick.

"I haven't stopped to rest. There is hope ahead."

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2008)