Fears, shocks recounted after strong tremors

MANDALAY, Myanmar — At night in quake-hit Mandalay, Myanmar, U Aye Maung, a 70-year-old man, sat outside his house that was damaged by a powerful earthquake that struck on Friday.

He was too scared to sleep. Aftershocks continued to shake the ground, keeping him and many others on edge.

"This is the first time I've ever experienced anything like this," he said with a shaky voice. "I was taking a nap when the earthquake hit. Suddenly, the ground started shaking violently. I tried to crawl, but the freezer and cupboards were falling around me. I couldn't do anything. Then, our front wall collapsed."

U Aye Maung had been alone when the temblor struck. That night, he and his neighbors stayed outside.

Daw Aye Aye Han, 49, was in a car on her way back to Mandalay from Shwebo of Sagaing region when the earthquake hit. "The car I rode is like rocking a cradle," she said.

"Right in front of me, three pagodas collapsed. Then, a three-story building began to tilt dangerously toward us. The driver had sped away just in time," she said.

She had never seen such destruction before. "A building next to my house was completely flattened. The first floor was crushed under the weight of the two floors above it. Everyone inside the beauty salon on the ground floor lost their lives," she said, her voice trembling.

"We have no electricity, nor water. The most urgent need right now is to restore power and water supply," she added.

Recalling the fearful moment, Shwe Yi Win Latt, a 21-year-old betel shop owner, said, "At first, I didn't realize what was happening. Then I felt the tremors and knew it was an earthquake. I quickly ran and sat down on the road, trying to stay safe."

A building near her shop collapsed. The streets turned chaotic, with ambulances rushing to rescue people. "It wasn't easy to go home immediately, so I stayed in my shop until the evening," she said.

"When I finally reached home, I saw that my house was on the verge of collapse. So, like many others, I stayed outside," she said.

Xinhua