At least 270 students from one school were confirmed dead by Thursday morning in earthquake-hit Sichuan Province after a three-storey dormitory collapsed on about 400 students who were taking an afternoon nap.

Muyu Middle School in Qingchuan County, has a total of 857 students. Only 139 students escaped from the dormitory when the quake happened.

More than 600 rescuers, including armed policemen, firemen and militias are still searching in the debris for survivors. They have saved 84 students as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.

A number of students remain missing, but the exact number is not yet confirmed, rescuers said.

At about 5 PM on Wednesday, a seventh grader named He Cuiqing was pulled out 50 hours after she was buried in the building.

Wang Guangfen, a nurse, climbed under the cement slab to give her medicine, while other rescuers pried open the slabs.

"She appeared very fragile, and there were blood stains on her chest," Wang said.

"But she was still conscious, and called me aunt when I reached her," she added.

Another rescuer said he heard He's weak voice: "uncle, save me, save me,"If anything (bad) had happened to her, the voice could haunt me for the rest of my life," he said.

The earthquake death toll rose to 14,866 by 2:00 PM on Wednesday, authorities told Xinhua.

(Xinhua News Agency May 18, 2008)