More than 2,000 residents and tourists stranded in a town in Anxian County have been evacuated to safe areas. It's thanks to the relentless effort of a fire brigade from Shandong Province.

Surrounded by steep mountains, Chaping Town is near Beichuan County, where devastation from last week's earthquake was extremely heavy. The only highway connecting Chaping with the outside world was completely blocked by landslides triggered in the quake. More than 4,000 local residents and tourists were trapped by the disaster. The danger to their lives grew every day, with frequent aftershocks and mudslides showing no signs of abating.

Help finally arrived on Friday morning, in the form of fire fighters from east China's Shandong province. Without delay, they led the first group of 2,400 people to safety. The roads in the mountainous area were tortuous and slippery, and rescuers paid close attention to mothers carrying young children. Sometimes they took on the role of temporary babysitters.

A rescuer said, "Drink some water, drink slowly, don't worry."

The rescuers also kept a constant watch over the elderly evacuees. They took turns carry them on their backs to maintain the pace of the evacuation.

The road conditions were treacherous. Sometimes the long and winding pathway ran into a dead end. Rescuers explored new paths through the jungle, and the steep slopes twisted by landslides were difficult to get over. To help people make it over the mountains, fire fighters formed a long human chain and set up ropes.

An affected local resident said, "We are genuinely grateful to these fire fighters. Risking their lives, they sent us water and helped us get out of the danger zone. We can't thank them enough."

The hardest times came when night fell. Rescuers would dispatch advance teams to wait along treacherous sections of roads, their flashlights illuminating the way.

A rescuer said, "Be careful, walk slowly, look at the flashlights. We promise to escort you down the mountain. There will be lights all along the way."

Evacuees stretched for miles along the tortuous mountain roads. After more than 20 hours of ceaseless efforts, the 2,400 people finally arrived in a safe area. After turning them over to local authorities, the fire fighters headed back into the mountains. There were still more people stranded, waiting to be led to safety.

(CCTV May 20, 2008)