A helicopter took off at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Chengdu, the capital of quake-hit southwestern Sichuan Province, to evacuate 14 Taiwan tourists from a village between Wenchuan county and Dujiangyan city.

They were reported as the last group of overseas tourists who remain stuck in the quake-hit area, according to the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA).

The group found themselves trapped on a road from Wenchuan to Dujiangyan, when the earthquake-triggered landslide blocked their way on Monday afternoon.

The tour guide led them to hike to the nearby Qipan Village, where the villagers took good care of them. The guide then called his travel agency through the mobile communication facility aired dropped by Chinese troops.

After learning about the situation, the CNTA arranged a helicopter to fetch them.

(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2008)