“All I could think of was getting to the remaining children,” related Charles, a teacher at the Petionville school.

“School had finished for the day, and I was playing basketball in the school courtyard with some older children when the earthquake hit. But there were about 20 children in the school doing homework.

“I got hold of nine children near the school entrance, but the whole building was shaking violently. It came down like a pancake in front of me: from upright to totally collapsed within 30 seconds.

"Dust and debris were everywhere, and people were screaming. I broke through debris to rescue two trapped children, and then heard cries from the other side of the building. But it was getting dark; there was an aftershock and no one there to help me. A large concrete slab stopped me from getting to the children, but I got near to where they were crying and tried to calm them, saying, ‘I will get you out as soon as possible,’ explaining I couldn’t do anything without help.

“The children cried, saying ’don’t leave me!’ It was hard to leave, but there was nothing else I could do. I returned home to find my own house demolished, my family worried about my whereabouts, and my sister injured.

“At first light the following morning, I returned to the school with another parent who wanted to help. It took several hours, but I was finally able to crawl through a very small opening in the concrete, smash through a concrete block, and managed to drag out two children alive. I found four more children who had died among the debris and removed their bodies. I couldn’t reach 2-3 other children buried under the school.

“In spite of this tragedy, my hope is that the school can be rebuilt, so that I can get back to doing what I love – teaching children. Many children are too frightened yet to come back, but I am holding classes on benches under a tarpaulin in the schoolyard. At present, we are playing games, talking and singing songs – gradually working up to academic study. More are coming back each week.”

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