"Restricted by weather and geological conditions, only small-scale air rescues can be carried out."

Ye Liejian, a Chinese PLA Air Force helicopter captain from the Chengdu Military Area Command, explaining on April 22 why large-scale air rescue and relief missions were unfeasible after the Ya'an earthquake on April 20

"I was about to be taken to the operating table when the earthquake hit. I was jolted onto the ground and the wall near me collapsed with a crash—it was really scary."

Lu Tao, describing her experience of giving birth to her baby during the earthquake on April 23. Over a dozen babies have been delivered in makeshift tents or even in open air since the Ya'an quake

"I will go to see her as soon as my hands recover."

Zhou Ziyun, an 8-year-old boy from quake-hit Lushan County of Sichuan Province, who was injured while rescuing his 2-year-old sister from the rubble, on April 23

"When I saw a mother holding up an over 50-kg precast slab to save her son, I was moved by the power of maternal love."

Pango princess_ff, a microblogger commenting on the Ya'an earthquake on Weibo via a pseudonym

"As after-quake psychological intervention differs from other such counseling, psychotherapists who haven't received relevant training had better not take up the task and risk causing a negative impact on quake victims."

Sui Shuangge, a psychologist who visited Wenchuan twice after the 2008 earthquake to conduct psychological intervention among local people, offering guidance to psychotherapists in Ya'an on April 21