( CNN ) -- Elaine Dang pretended to be dead , and maybe because she did , she is alive to tell her story . She survived last month 's terror attack at Nairobi 's Westgate mall . At least 67 people were killed during the four-day siege . Amid the chaos , Dang , 26 , an American expat , said she managed to keep her wits . `` In my head I was thinking , like there needs to be an answer to this . So for me , it was like , this is not it . I need to keep on thinking and find a way out , '' she told CNN 's Anderson Cooper during an interview that aired Wednesday night . `` I said , this can not be it . '' Dang was at a children 's cooking competition when militants stormed the mall on September 21 . She heard screaming and what sounded like distant booms . One of the presenters from the competition told everyone to run to the parking lot . At first , Dang followed , but then she stopped . `` My instinct said , do n't go with the crowd , move away from the crowd because the crowd is going to be the most vulnerable place . And so I actually moved away and hid behind one of the silver kitchen counters , '' she said . Kenya identifies mall attackers , including American . Dang fell on top of a woman and then people fell on top of her . The shooting continued . At one point , the woman screamed , `` I 've been shot ! '' and blood flowed onto the floor . At another point , Dang saw a friend stand up and raise his arms , as if to surrender . She readied herself to do the same . But before Dang could stand up , another woman did . That woman was shot . Dang stayed down . How you can help Elaine 's recovery . After a gas canister blew up , she ran to another counter where a couple was hiding . Both the man and his wife had been shot . Dang thought she had been too , though later she found out she was struck by shrapnel . `` I remember her looking at me and saying , 'Are we going to die ? ' It was actually the first time when I was thinking to myself , I think we are . And I told her , ' I think we are going to , ' '' Dang said . Thoughts of her family -- her brother , sister and mother -- raced through her head . She laid still and pretended to be dead . After a while , a man walked by and told Dang that people were going downstairs . She followed them to a lobby area , where the doors were open and people were running out . `` I do n't hear gunshots so I 'm thinking this is safe . So I start going , '' Dang said . Moments immediately after that were captured by photographers and broadcast around the world . In the images , Dang is seen dazed , holding a phone , with blood streaked across her face . `` I talk about it , like , sometimes like I 'm very removed from the situation , but when I see the photograph and other photos of victims or people that I knew , that 's when I realize I was there , '' she told Cooper , her voice breaking with emotion . In spite of the attack , Dang said that she still considers Kenya her second home and hopes to go back . The University of California , Berkeley , graduate worked as the general manager for Eat Out Kenya . `` If anything it 's increased the love that I have for the country , '' she said . It 's not over , Somali terrorists say after mall attack . Watch Anderson Cooper 360° weeknights 10pm ET . For the latest from AC360° click here .
Elaine Dang was at Nairobi 's Westgate mall during last month 's terror attack . The Kenyan government has said it will not release the names of those killed in the attack, but a senior official told CNN that they were all Kenyans and included several foreigners. Dang moved away from the crowd , pretended to be dead . She says the attack strengthened her love for Kenya .