Pupils at the central primary school in Longqu town, are lucky. When the school buildings shook, their teachers bravely guided the children to safety.

Most of the 145 pupils ran out of the classroom when the earthquake hit. The heroines are their teachers.

Most of the 145 pupils ran out of the classroom when the earthquake hit. The heroines are their teachers.

Feng Minqing, teacher of Central Primary School, Longqu town, said, "The class has just started for 10 minutes. Then I felt the shaking. The light was off and fell down from the ceiling. My first response to shout "Danger! run!" Then three pupils ran out from here rapidly. Pupils sit in front ran out one by one. I said "hurry!" While children screamed "Teacher! Mum!" for help and all came around me. I pushed them out of the room one and another. The moment they were out, the landslide was coming. Then teachers asked their students to run again. Everyone was running. The older ones helped the young who fell behind. Before our eyes, houses collapsed."

Roads were blocked. The only way to survive was to wade across the rushing and rising river.

When the school buildings shook, teachers bravely guided the children to safety.

Feng Minqing said, "For older pupils, we helped them with our hands. For younger ones, we carried them on our back. As soon as they were on land, they were asked to run again."

Even when they reached a safer place, teachers and pupils had to face another challenge. They were isolated from the outside world as roads were blocked and telecommunications cut off.

A teacher from Central Primary School, Longqu town, said, "The youngest ate first. Then the bigger ones. Class by class. Teachers came last. If there was food left, we ate. But at last, there was nothing to eat for teachers."

Three days later, the last unblocked road was opened in Longqu. Food, drinking water and other necessities have reached the survivors' hands. Thanks to these teachers' protection, many young lives were saved.

(CCTV May 20, 2008)