The Tangshan earthquake, which occurred in the city of Tangshan, Hebei Province, on July 28, 1976, will be remembered as one of the most devastating earthquakes to hit the modern world, claiming more than 242,000 lives and severely injuring 164,581 others.

On the 30th anniversary of the disaster, Shenzhen resident Kang Shuxin, 55, one of the survivors of the Tangshan earthquake, recalled the night when more than 15,000 people lost their spouses, 4,200 children under 10 became orphaned, and a city of 1 million people was razed to the ground.

Kang, a Luohu resident, has been living in Shenzhen since 1989. When she arrived in the city of Tangshan for a conference in July 1976, she was a 25-year-old employee of a porcelain factory with no idea of the experience she was about to have. But she did receive some warning signs on a trip to the zoo July 27.

"I clearly remembered that big cats anxiously walked and jumped inside cage," she said. "Cranes posed scared looking, flapping their wings and made sad and shrill sounds."

Indeed, there is also evidence that other animals in the area sensed the earthquake before it struck. A thousand chickens reportedly refused to eat and acted wildly. There were also reports that dogs would not stop barking and goldfish jumped out of their bowls.

That night of the earthquake is still imprinted in Kang's mind. She woke up at 3:00 a.m. to see "earthquake lights" flashing across the sky, followed by loud noises.

"There was an ominous idea knocked my mind -- Soviet's atomic bomb detonated on here. I prostrated myself and hid under the bed." Kang said.

The earth began to shake and a part of the ceiling came off. A moment later, the tremors abated, but were soon followed by aftershocks. Kang lay trapped in the rubble until 8 a.m., when she shouted for help upon hearing steps, and was soon pulled out.

Her first glimpse of the outside world was shocking, to say the least. All she could see was collapsed buildings, corpses and debris. The air rang with sad cries and shrill screams. Survivors everywhere were digging through the rubble to answer muffled calls for help as well as look for their family members in rubble. Of the 65 people residing in the inn where Kang was staying, only 25 had survived.

Medical relief arrived at daybreak July 29. The medical workers set up shelters where emergency procedures were conducted with minimum supplies.

The earthquake had also destroyed communication between Tangshan and the outside world. All but one of the roads leading into Tangshan was damaged. By evening, food and medical supplies were being parachuted in, but the distribution was done in a haphazard manner. Kang, who was unable to fight her way through the mob of people rushing to claim the food, only managed to find some biscuit crumbs left in bags.

The first relief workers arrived in the city July 30. Kang, however, chose to remain in the city until Aug. 2 to assist in the relief work. "I saw how people helped each other and moved by our brave and united people, and by the good nature of our human beings," she said.

On Aug. 2, Kang boarded the truck to leave for home, in Handan, Hebei Province. As the truck entered Handan, Kang's mother was standing under streetlight, waiting to receive her daughter.

"Thirty years has passed by, and still, whenever I recall that time it brings me a complex feeling. I often regard my life after Tangshan earthquake is a gift," she said. "I appreciate the Party; appreciate those lovely relief workers and the good nature of our human beings. It was them that gave me the gift."

Editor: Yan