Woman and girl pulled from rubble 5 days after China quake

Five days after a devastating earthquake struck China's northwestern province of Qinghai, killing and injuring thousands of people, an elderly woman and a 4-year old girl were pulled from the rubble and debris.

The 68-year old woman and the child had been trapped under a bed in a collapsed mud-built house near the hardest-hit town of Jiegu. Media reported how relatives kept Wujian Cuomao and the girl, 4-year old Cairen Baji, alive by sticking bamboo poles with attached to them water bottles and food. Both survivors have been taken to hospital. While the woman is in critical condition, the girl was suffering from heart problems due to trauma. It is uncertain how many people died in the natural disaster, which struck the province - which is largely inhabited by Tibetans - five days ago. According to government statistics, 1 944 lives were lost. However, Digital Journal reported that as many as 5000 people might have died in the 7.1 magnitude quake. In the meantime, despite the fact that the chance of finding survivors is slim, rescue operations continue.