Rather than go hospital and have her injuries treated, mudslide survivor Zeng Yanqun dug the mud with her bare hands for three straight days in a vain attempt to rescue her family members.

The 18-year old was pulled out of chest-deep mud Sunday morning after a massive mudslide engulfed Beijie Village, Zhouqu County, in northwest China's Gansu Province. Her parents and brother didn't make it. And because her injuries were not quickly attended to, she has had to undergo major surgery.

Zeng underwent an operation to remove dead muscles from her left leg, a surgical procedure that has left a big scar and affects her walking, said Wang Shiyong, a doctor at the General Hospital of the Lanzhou Military Region where Zeng was hospitalized.

The death toll in the massive mudslide has risen to 1,144, with 600 still missing as of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, the provincial department of civil affairs said late Thursday.

"I saw sludge burying my father," said Zeng, who rushed to her parents' bedroom before the mud crashed down. "My father pushed me away as the mud hit us, and I was saved by that push."

Zeng battled the mud to reach for her father, but as soon as she grabbed his clothes more mud poured in and totally immersed him.

"The mud piled as high as my chest, and for a moment, I wished that I could die so I could be with my parents. But somehow I survived," said Zeng, whose left leg was injured by falling rocks.

Dragging her swollen leg, Zeng begged others to help her dig out her family members. But due to the slippery mud, they could only use their hands. Even today, Zeng's hands are covered in scratches and there is black dirt under her fingernails.

Her brother's body was the first to be dug out Sunday afternoon. He was coming down a flight of stairs when the mud came, and so he was not buried deeply.

"I didn't cry after the mudslide. But the moment I saw my brother's body, I couldn't help crying," she said.

Her brother's body was temporarily placed at the square in front of the county government building. There, Zeng accompanied him all of Sunday night with a lit candle and prays.

Zeng wanted to search for her parents herself, but her leg was in bad shape. Her aunt had to literally drag her to the makeshift hospital Wednesday -- three days after the accident.

"I really wanted to see my parents for the last time, but my leg was killing me, and I couldn't walk on my own," said a dejected Zeng.

Surgery was the only option to avoid a secondary infection, which may have led to renal failure and possible amputation, said Wang.

"You should have sought treatment as soon as you were rescued. If you had have, you probably would not have needed to have the surgery," said a patient in the same ward as Zeng.

Hearing this, Zeng smiled and said nothing.

Zhouqu County sits in the steep valley of the Bailong River, a tributary of Jialing River which meets the Yangtze in Chongqing. It is hemmed in by rocky mountains on both sides.

Torrential rain on Saturday night prompted an avalanche of sludge and debris to crash down on the county seat of Zhouqu early Sunday morning, ripping many houses off their foundations and tearing multi-story apartment buildings in half.