Eager to return to school in Zhouqu

Wang Jinyan, 8, and her brother, Wang Jinhong, 10, sit in front of the ruins of their school building, worrying that they cannot go to school again. They are students from No 1 Primary School in mudslide-hit Zhouqu, Northwest China's Gansu province. The death toll from the massive mudslide in Zhouqu had risen to 1,239 as of 4 pm Saturday, with 505 still missing. "My best friends are dead. My parents told me that they have flown to heaven. But I cannot see them again, nor can we go to school and play together," the little sister said with tears in her eyes. The primary and middle schools in Zhouqu will start the autumn semester 10 days later than scheduled. Some schools were damaged or inundated in water, and many classrooms are also being used as temporary shelters. [Photo/Xinhua] 

Wang Jinyan, 8 and her brother Wang Jinhong, 10 attend the mourning ceremony on Aug 15, the national day of mourning for the victims in Zhouqu, Northwest China's Gansu province. [Photo/Xinhua]