The devastating May 12 earthquake that hit southwest China resulted in some 6.73 million yuan in cash in the exchequer of the Beichuan County Credit Union in Sichuan to be buried under piles of debris. After six days of painstaking digging, officers and soldiers from the Second Artillery Corps of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) finally unearthed this cash, Xinhua News Agency reported on May 22.

"The money belongs to our hard working farmers and migrant laborers. We're proud to report that the PLA officers and soldiers not only save people's lives but also save their assets. They're a terrific bunch," said Chen Lixiong, an official from the Mianyang branch of Sichuan Provincial Credit Union. Peng Xiaofeng, lieutenant general of the Second Artillery Corp, also spoke highly of his officers and soldiers.

According to Chen Lixiong, the cash sum of 6.73 million yuan belongs to the Beichuan County Credit Union, the Beichuan County Development Bank and the Beichuan Urban and Township Bank.

Excavation began on the morning of May 16.

The architectural structure of the credit union building was "comparatively solid", Xinhua reported. A great amount of reinforced concrete among the debris made the excavation work particularly difficult. To protect the money buried under the rubble the corps posted 24-hour guards at the debris site during the excavation.

The exchequer was dug out on Wednesday afternoon, in the form of eight yellow strongboxes and four iron-sheet safes. The cash included Renminbi currencies and US dollars.

(China.org.cn by Li Jingrong May 22, 2008)