Horrors and heroes of natural disaster

Editor's Note: China Daily sent seven reporters and photographers to Gansu after the landslide in Zhouqu county on Aug 8. The initial batch arrived just 19 hours after the tragedy and was among the first on the scene; a second group arrived three days later. Here, three of our journalists - Peng Yining, Hu Yongqi and Wang Huazhong recount their experiences in covering the disaster.

ZHOUQU, Gansu - I had never seen such devastation before I witnessed firsthand the horrific aftermath of the landslide in Zhouqu county.

As the rescue efforts were still in the early stages when I arrived as part of the first team of reporters, mud-covered corpses still laid scattered on the many piles of rubble: Men and women, many naked or half-naked.