BEIJING, Sept.7 -- A 6.8-magnitude earthquake striking Luding County, southwest China's Sichuan Province on Monday triggered landslides in many villages around Moxi Town, the epicenter. The Sichuan Corps of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force (PAP) dispatched troops to transfer the victims trapped in the villages.
Since the only road leading to the outside world was blocked by falling rocks, the best way to evacuate the villagers to safe places was to cross the river. The PAP service members and the firefighters built a simple wooden bridge spanning the torrential river. The rescuers carried the wounded and helped the elderly across the river via the bridge, with the rapids rolling under their feet. After several hours of trekking, they managed to transfer the villagers to safety.
