Advertisement

Memories of Sichuan earthquake drill hard into township school

A school where 54 students and teachers were among the thousands who died is determined to ensure that it has learnt from the tragedy

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
Students at Qiyi Yingxiu Middle School take part in an earthquake emergency drill. Photo: Simon Song
Zhuang Pinghuiin Beijing

A class of third-year students at a middle school in Yingxiu township in Sichuan province were reviewing their exam papers yesterday when an ear-piercing alarm sounded across the campus.

The students quickly squatted by their desks and held books above their heads. Some giggled and popped their heads up to see what was going on, only to be told off by their teacher, who stood near the blackboard and watched over the class.

About a minute later, another alarm sounded, and students at Qiyi Yingxiu Middle School leapt to their feet and hustled out of their classrooms. The corridor filled with students moving towards the nearest stairs. Some teachers stood in the stairwell and warned children to watch their steps and move in a more orderly manner.

There was no emergency - it was only a drill at the school, which was built after Xuankou Middle School was destroyed by the devastating earthquake on May 12, 2008. Fifty-four students and teachers died in the school's collapse.

The new campus opened in March 2011 after students from the area were sent to attend school in neighbouring counties.

Today, it has students from 13 townships, including survivors from Xuankou Middle School and Yingxiu Primary School, where 294 students out of more than 500 were officially killed by the quake, though the actual death toll is believed to be higher.

Advertisement