Besides rescue workers, the mobile network emergency unit is working day and night, making their own contribution to the emergency rescue work in the quake hit area of Lushan.

For more, here's Wang Wei reporting from the quake zone.

In the early hours of the morning in Lushang, the rain sprinkles down turning the land to mud.

A China Mobile network emergency vehicle became stuck, and it took 5 people more than 10 minutes to push it out.

An eight member team of the China Mobile emergency group heads out to fix a mobile network base station after finishing work on another one.

The unit's captain, Xiao Yongkan, says his unit arrived in Lushan hours after the earthquake hit the town, and fixed 9 communication base stations the first day.

Over the next two days he has slept for no more than 40 minutes.

However, Xiao insists sacrificing sleep is necessary since keeping communication open is pivotal for rescue and relief efforts in the area.

"Commanding emergency rescues and transportation need open mobile network. Civil administration department and all the other departments that you can think of need an open channel of communication. So keeping it work is very important."

When Xiao Yongkang and his team members arrived at the base station, the rain fell harder, but when they started work this morning the sky was clear.

Many of them didn't bring a raincoat that day, but once the rain started up again they continued their work with only a cap or helmet.

Wang Haodong is an engineer in charge of data maintenance, and says is it not a comfortable job.

"I've been working for a consecutive of 20 hours, without even taking a nap. Things have been like this since I arrived here right after the quake. We're so busy that we don't even have time for instant noodles, so we only eat biscuits and drink bottled water. There're free instant noodles at service stops, we just don't have time for it. A steamed bun is a dream for us now."

Team member Fu Xiaodong agrees.

"I went to bed in the morning yesterday. We can only sleep 1 to 3 hours a day."

Team leader Xiao Yongkang says they are used to terrible working conditions, considering they provided support following past earthquakes, which were much more dangerous.

"We had previous experiences in Wenchuan and Yushu earthquakes, so we're experienced in this. There was one time in Yushu, I was driving on mountain road covered with ice and snow, and it was too slippery that my car went out of control and took a u-turn, we almost fell of the cliff."

Xiao and his team yearned for good sleep after finishing their work around three in the morning. They don't know when they will head back home, but when they do they plan to fully take advantage of its comforts.

"When I get back home I will eat hotpot for as much as I can. All I want is having a good time eating hotpot and barbeque."

"I'll be good as long as I can get back home and see my baby. That's enough for me."

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)