Presumably hundreds of fatalities demanded the devastating earthquake in Southeast Asia. There are also numerous Austrians in the affected region – there are more than 1000 in and around Bangkok alone. One of them describes his dramatic experiences between panic and sirens in the “Kroon”.
“It felt like the world was moving in Slow Motion,” says Martin Gerhart, Viennese innkeeper and operator of the Asia Local Krazy Kitchen, who is currently in the Thai capital Bangkok. He lay on a massage bench in the Laksi district when the earth trembled: “My first earthquake – a feeling between shock and complete disorientation.”
While it remained in violent fluctuations in Laksi, other parts of the city get much worse. “Bangkok was caught on the wrong foot,” says Gerhart. “Most buildings here are not an earthquake – nobody expected that.”
The Earth was hitting minutes, people got on the street in a panic, water shot from roof swimming pools, shopping centers were evacuated. An office tower with 30 floors that have completely collapsed to 90 people are missing in the ruins. A dramatic video that circulated on social media showed how the building changed a cloud of rubble with a tap at the top within a few seconds, while spectators screamed and ran away.
More than 1000 Austrians in affected regions
“There are currently more than 1,000 Austrians in Bangkok and in the regions that are hit by the earthquake north of Bangkok,” says Wilhelm Donko, the ambassador of Austria in Thailand. Some suffered injuries in the devastating earthquake, but only “very easy”, for example in the evacuations, when they no longer had buildings with a high rise. However, many tourists from Austria would be south of Bangkok on islands, where the earthquake was hardly felt there, Donko emphasizes.
Nine people died in Bangkok with a thickness of 7.7. The epicenter was in the neighboring country Myanmar – about 1300 km away. The size of the catastrophe is much worse there. According to provisional information, 144 fatalities and 732 injuries were counted – but it is expected to increase the numbers. Even in the Chinese province of Yunnan, in Cambodia, Bangladesh and India, the violent shocks were felt.
Streets in Mandalay covered with ruins and corpses
The worst affected the millions of Mandalay in Myanmar. According to reports, various buildings have also collapsed, including a mosque. The streets are littered with rubble and corpses. Numerous dead are feared.
In Nijypyidaw, hospitals outside 38 degrees outdoors, thousands of people are in shock. The horror is not over yet: experts expect strong nashogs, possibly even with a second headquake.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
