Already felt drained after waking up at 6am to “Lao Sai” – still have to go to work as I had been out of action last week and work is piling up.
While in a discussion with my colleague, Sabrina, I felt dizzy for the first time in my life. I stopped her and exclaimed ALOUD that I am fainting and she did not respond.
My colleague opposite me responded instead – she was surprised to hear that I feel faint as she is feeling the same WAY. Next thing we know, the whole office is full of outburst that every one felt dizzy. Someone yelled – the building is shaking! Better Run for your life.
We quickly pack our belongings and head for emergency exit. My office is on the 36 floor, so I have many floors to clear. There are people from other levels who join us during the descent and ugly scene emerged in danger situation like this. Survival instinct takes over and people are shouting for those in front to go faster, impatience ones simple shove and overtake. I was pretty concern for the pregnant women in our department but was too far to help her.
I still feel dizzy along the way and no longer can tell it’s the tremor or just simply the way we are spiraling down the staircase in quick time.
Most of us were relieved once we hit street level – I see lotsa people streaming out to the roadside and looking up at the building which we had abandon.
Some of the innocent shoppers had no idea what happened and happily entered the mall below our office building. I marveled at how people can be so oblivious of their surrounding…
Our top management are all outstation and there isn’t anyone taking charge – I have to call them to make a decision as none of the staff are willing to go back to office after such a awful flight/fright!
So luckily our GM decided that our safety is more important and allow us to take off.
What a day… but I am still making rounds as my tummy is growling like a tiger. Need a doctor …boy…
Powerful quake rattles southwest China
BEIJING (AFP) - - A powerful quake measuring 7.8 struck Monday close to densely populated areas of southwest China and shook buildings as far away as Bangkok, officials said, sending thousands of people onto the streets.
Tremors were also felt in Hong Kong, Hanoi and Taipei, residents said, but there were no immediate reports of damage,
The quake struck 93 kilometres (58 miles) from Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province and a major population centre with more than 12 million people, and about 260 kilometres from Chongqing and its 30 million.
China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported the quake 7.8 on the Richter scale.
The US Geological Survey measured it at 7.5.
Buildings shook in Beijing and Shanghai at the same time, residents in the cities reported, with many people evacuating tower blocks, although there were no immediate reports of major damage in those major cities.
A reporter for CCTV news in Chengdu said residents had poured out onto the streets but public transport and electricity supplies remained operational.
However, the tremor appeared to have disrupted cellular telecommunications in the city, he added.
Asked if anyone had been hurt, the reporter said: "All appears to be fine."
State television also said there appeared to be no infrastructure problems in Chongqing.
The phone network in Chengdu and elsewhere around the country appeared to suffer a meltdown as people throughout China tried to find out what happened, making it extremely difficult to contact residents.
The quake struck shortly before 2.30 pm (0630 GMT), according to the USGS, at a depth of just 10 kilometres (six miles).
Two residents near downtown Chengdu that AFP contacted by phone said they felt a violent shaking that threw glassware to the floor and toppled street lights.
However, they were not sure whether the quake had caused significant damage in the city as they had not yet ventured far from their own home.
Further information could not be obtained as the connection was cut.
The quake was felt in the Taiwanese capital Taipei, where buildings swayed for around half a minute.
It was also felt in the southern Chinese territory of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Observatory said.
"Several local residents called the Hong Kong Observatory to report having felt a tremor," it said in a statement, adding its seismograph also picked up the tremor.
"A number of local residents reported to have felt this tremor which lasted several seconds," the Observatory said in a statement.
In Hanoi, residents said some high buildings shook for around five minutes but there were no reports of damage.
The last powerful quake to hit China was on March 21, a 7.2 magnitude quake which struck near the northwestern city of Hotan in Xinjiang province.
Xinhua reported that a quake measuring measuring 3.9 on the Richter scale hit Beijing at the same time as near Chengdu.
A reporter for Hong Kong-based Cable News based in Kunming, the capital of southwestern Yunnan province which borders Sichuan, said he saw many people running onto the streets to find out what had happened.
"One office worker working on the 11th floor of a building in Kunming told me that the lamps in his office were shaking and he felt dizzy," the reporter told the local broadcaster.
He added that people in Kunming had tried to call their friends in Sichuan, but the lines were jammed.
The USGS estimate of the depth makes it a so-called "shallow" earthquake -- a category generally known to cause greater damage than deeper ones.
One of the biggest quakes ever recorded was in China in 1976, which killed 242,000 people.
That quake centred in the northern city of Tangshan lasted for 15 seconds and flattened 90 percent of buildings. The death toll, out of a population of one million, made it one of the deadliest in the world in the 20th century.
In 1920 and again in 1927, separate quakes each left some 200,000 dead.
Injuries, damage reported after 7.8 magnitude quake in central China
BEIJING - Local officials say some injuries and damage have been reported after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in central China.
A statement issued by the government in Aba prefecture of Sichuan province say buildings were cracked and some had collapsed. Mountain roads were damaged after the temblor struck Monday afternoon.
The statement did not give details on the number of injuries or other specifics.
The official Xinhua News Agency said the area has a population of about 110,000 residents.
Phone calls to the area could not go through after the quake that was felt as far away as Thailand, Pakistan and Vietnam.
BEIJING (AFP) - - A powerful quake measuring 7.8 struck Monday close to densely populated areas of southwest China and shook buildings as far away as Bangkok, officials said, sending thousands of people onto the streets.
Tremors were also felt in Hong Kong, Hanoi and Taipei, residents said, but there were no immediate reports of damage,
The quake struck 93 kilometres (58 miles) from Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province and a major population centre with more than 12 million people, and about 260 kilometres from Chongqing and its 30 million.
China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported the quake 7.8 on the Richter scale.
The US Geological Survey measured it at 7.5.
Buildings shook in Beijing and Shanghai at the same time, residents in the cities reported, with many people evacuating tower blocks, although there were no immediate reports of major damage in those major cities.
A reporter for CCTV news in Chengdu said residents had poured out onto the streets but public transport and electricity supplies remained operational.
However, the tremor appeared to have disrupted cellular telecommunications in the city, he added.
Asked if anyone had been hurt, the reporter said: "All appears to be fine."
State television also said there appeared to be no infrastructure problems in Chongqing.
The phone network in Chengdu and elsewhere around the country appeared to suffer a meltdown as people throughout China tried to find out what happened, making it extremely difficult to contact residents.
The quake struck shortly before 2.30 pm (0630 GMT), according to the USGS, at a depth of just 10 kilometres (six miles).
Two residents near downtown Chengdu that AFP contacted by phone said they felt a violent shaking that threw glassware to the floor and toppled street lights.
However, they were not sure whether the quake had caused significant damage in the city as they had not yet ventured far from their own home.
Further information could not be obtained as the connection was cut.
The quake was felt in the Taiwanese capital Taipei, where buildings swayed for around half a minute.
It was also felt in the southern Chinese territory of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Observatory said.
"Several local residents called the Hong Kong Observatory to report having felt a tremor," it said in a statement, adding its seismograph also picked up the tremor.
"A number of local residents reported to have felt this tremor which lasted several seconds," the Observatory said in a statement.
In Hanoi, residents said some high buildings shook for around five minutes but there were no reports of damage.
The last powerful quake to hit China was on March 21, a 7.2 magnitude quake which struck near the northwestern city of Hotan in Xinjiang province.
Xinhua reported that a quake measuring measuring 3.9 on the Richter scale hit Beijing at the same time as near Chengdu.
A reporter for Hong Kong-based Cable News based in Kunming, the capital of southwestern Yunnan province which borders Sichuan, said he saw many people running onto the streets to find out what had happened.
"One office worker working on the 11th floor of a building in Kunming told me that the lamps in his office were shaking and he felt dizzy," the reporter told the local broadcaster.
He added that people in Kunming had tried to call their friends in Sichuan, but the lines were jammed.
The USGS estimate of the depth makes it a so-called "shallow" earthquake -- a category generally known to cause greater damage than deeper ones.
One of the biggest quakes ever recorded was in China in 1976, which killed 242,000 people.
That quake centred in the northern city of Tangshan lasted for 15 seconds and flattened 90 percent of buildings. The death toll, out of a population of one million, made it one of the deadliest in the world in the 20th century.
In 1920 and again in 1927, separate quakes each left some 200,000 dead.
Injuries, damage reported after 7.8 magnitude quake in central China
BEIJING - Local officials say some injuries and damage have been reported after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in central China.
A statement issued by the government in Aba prefecture of Sichuan province say buildings were cracked and some had collapsed. Mountain roads were damaged after the temblor struck Monday afternoon.
The statement did not give details on the number of injuries or other specifics.
The official Xinhua News Agency said the area has a population of about 110,000 residents.
Phone calls to the area could not go through after the quake that was felt as far away as Thailand, Pakistan and Vietnam.
Well, I enjoyed BBQ oyster more than the lobsters as I HATE to peel off the shell but thankfully I had May to service me or I think with my super slow speed of peeling.. I will only managed to eat 5 pieces.
