The Hindu : Front Page : Shaken and shocked by the mighty earthquake

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Sunday, Oct 09, 2005

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Shaken and shocked by the mighty earthquake

Staff Reporter

MORNING ALARM: The scene in an apartment complex in Delhi soon after the earthquake on Saturday morning. - PHOTO: RAJEEV BHATT

NEW DELHI: The Capital along with many other cities and towns emerged shaken from the shock of the earthquake that hit North India on Saturday morning. A total of seven aftershocks were recorded during the day, all measuring above 5 on the Richter scale.

Delhi recorded one of them at 4-16 p.m., measuring 6 on the Richter scale, according to officials at Seismological Division Delhi. Scenes of panic-stricken families rushing out of homes to the safety of open spaces were seen all over the city in the morning as the city shook for over 30 seconds. However, it wasn't long before the Capital sprang back to action with the Fire Department mercifully drawing a blank and reporting no fire or any other loss caused by the mighty quake. Heavy traffic was registered by the cell phone companies as frantic calls and SMS messages flew across town.

``We were taken completely by surprise and shock as the earthquake struck. Most of us who ran downstairs saw our fans sway, windows swing and clothes fall out of open cupboards before we realised that there was a quake. For most of us our relaxed Saturday morning had changed into a reality horror show with images of the Gujarat earthquake still fresh in mind. Children were dragged out of their beds and most of us rushed barefoot to the open spaces as the tremors were too strong to ignore. Also, in our eight-storey building we weren't feeling very safe,'' said housewife Ekta Malhotra, a resident of Central Delhi, who preferred to stay out in the open. Similar scenes were reported from all over the city with those staying in high-rise building being the first to press the panic button. Hospitals in the city claimed that they were prepared for any eventuality. ``The staff here have been trained well to deal with any natural disasters and patients' safety is our top priority. Though we felt the tremors, there was no panic ,'' said the public relations officer of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Ajoy Sehgal.

There were, however, a few who managed to remain oblivious to the tremors. ``I was travelling in a DTC bus when information filtered through. As we were moving on the road at great speed, the fact that an earthquake of high intensity was happening did not register,'' said media consultant Pallavi Walia.

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