- www.kansascity.com | 05/12/2008 | Death toll in China earthquake approaches...
 May 12, 10:48pm  (2 reviews) http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/6171...- Thanks to everyone for all the mails asking if we're ok here in Chengdu!! Thank God we are, but it's been pretty scary. We were in the flat when it happened. At first we huddled under a door, thinking it would pass, but when it started getting stronger we fled downstairs from the fourth floor. outsise people were franticaly scrambling over the back gate of our condo, which was locked, and my wife was cut getting over the gate. dust was rising, and we felt sure that our building was going to collapse. the mood in the streets was relaxed and festival-like though, after the initial terror passed. people had a good laugh at the sight of me in a pair of fisherman's trousers, with no top on, and carrying around a chinese flute which i'd just been playing at the time the quake happened. one girl was wondering around in her knickers, others in pyjamas. as far as i know, chengdu city has not been that badly affected. the only death i've so far heard of here was the pet cat of a famous local rock singer, which jumped out of its high storey flat when the tremor hit. more quakes are expected though (yesterdays at the centre was 7.9, in chengdu it was 5.6, today a 6.6 one is expected here!), and we spent the night sleeping in an open space at a nearby university campus, braving the flat again after torrential rain forced us indoors! i'm sure we may end up there again tonight. it all feels a bit like something out of War of the Worlds, or Cloverfield, which we just watched a few days ago. my heart goes out to those caught in the epicentre though, and i pray that things don't get worse over the following days. anyway, time to get back outside. i really, really shouldn't be indoors. good luck to anyone else stuck in this.
|
