Following the magnitude 7.3 earthquake that struck Iran's western province of Kermanshah on Nov. 12, killing at least 436 people and injuring thousands, miraculous stories of survival against the odds have emerged.

Haniyeh Esmaili, a fourth-grade elementary school student, was helping her mother to set the dinner table when the quake struck at 9:48 p.m.

Haniyeh, who was standing near a wall of their apartment on the top floor of a seven-story apartment building, fell outside when the wall collapsed and plunged to the asphalt below.

Despite the fall and being buried under bricks, broken glass and other debris, the 10-year-old only suffered injuries to her right arm and right ankle.

Speaking to Kyodo News, Aliyeh Mohammadi, 42, the girl's mother, said that after finding her daughter the momentary "darkness and fear" following the quake was replaced with "light and confidence."

She recalled that when Haniyeh was nowhere to be found in their home after searching for her in the dark, she realized that the girl might have fallen outside.

Mohammadi managed to descend the building amid collapsed ceilings and walls and blocked stairwells while the building was still shaking.

"I'm still not sure how I got out of the building, but I just was thinking about Haniyeh. At that moment I was preparing to find her dead body. I couldn't imagine she would be able to survive that horrible fall," Mohammadi added.

Once at the ground floor, she was confronted with piles of rubble amid darkness filled with people screaming. After several minutes she begged people there to provide light from their mobile phones and search for her daughter.

"Some 15-16 people turned on their phones and helped search for minutes. Suddenly, I could distinguish Haniyeh's dust-covered nose and mouth under the debris. Her whole body was buried but just a part of her face was exposed," she added.

Neighbors lent a hand and it took almost 15 minutes to pull her out. "Her entire body was covered with blood. I couldn't tell which part of her body was injured," her mother said.

The extent of Haniyeh's injuries was gnawing every moment on her family as they tried to seek medical attention, but the only hospital in Sarpol e Zahab was destroyed. Therefore, they took her to a hospital in Kermanshah, two hours away from their city, by their own car.

"She was bleeding. The inside of the car was covered with blood. I was very scared and feared we would lose her. Soon we found that a huge stone that fell down a mountain had blocked the main road and we couldn't pass," Mohammadi said.

Haniyeh was losing blood and strength with each passing minute. "I just was trying to stop her bleeding and disturb her sleeping. Eventually, we arrived at the hospital in Kermanshah after eight hours," she recalled.

"It's an absolute miracle for Haniyeh to be alive after the terrifying ordeal. I'm so happy just to have her beside me," said the mother, who is taking care of Haniyeh at the children's division of Imam Hossein Hospital in Kermanshah.

Haniyeh has already undergone surgery on her right arm, which was seriously injured, with further surgery in a few days planned. According to her medical team, Haniyeh will be able run and play as before in two months.

Haniyeh said she was terrified while falling from the seventh floor "but everything happened very quickly," adding that she can't wait to return home and play with her dolls.

Over a week after the earthquake in Kermanshah province, thousands of survivors are settled in tents, with humanitarian aid making its way to affected areas.

The people of Kermanshah have another "little hero" whose tale of survival is lifting heavy hearts amid the tragedy.

Parsa Veysi, a 9-year-old boy, was trapped under debris for more than three hours while his 7-year-old sister, Manisa, lay dead beside him. Parsa didn't give up and kept calling for help until his calls were heard.

His family had just finished dinner when the earthquake jolted their rural house in the village of Tapani, causing the walls and ceiling of their living room to collapse on them before they could run outside.

"We were trying to escape but suddenly we found ourselves buried under tons of debris. Manisa died after a piece of wood struck her head, and Parsa was seriously injured in the head and face," the boy's mother, Mina Veysi, 34, told Kyodo News in a hospital in Kermanshah.

His mother credits her son's survival to his unceasing calls for help despite a serious injury to his chin.

Now Parsa's head has been treated and plastic surgery has been carried out on his chin. According to his medical team the boy will be able to return to normal life in two weeks.

His eyes filled with tears while Veysi spoke of his late sister, Manisa. "They were very good friends, and so Manisa's death was a big and irreparable loss for him," she said.

Parsa says that he was not scared while under the debris, and was only worried about his sister and mother.

"I love riding the bicycle more than everything else and I hope to start riding as soon as I recuperate, if I can find my bicycle intact under the debris," Parsa said.

"I really like that people are calling me 'little hero.' I hope to remain their hero forever," he added.