Man in Daughter’s School Narrates Earthquake Ordeal

When the grounds started jolting because of the earthquake, an Indian resident, Prem Kishore Mohanty, was attending her daughters' sports day event at school. He was in the auditorium where children would compete with each other and show their skills.

The next moment, "I felt my head spinning, and I had to sit down. I could see the overhead lights swaying, and the chairs moving.” Prem also narrated that "Then the school PA system kicked in, ordering everyone to run towards the outdoor field. We were told to avoid the lane next to the school that was surrounded by high-rise towers. The water from the swimming pools in these buildings started cascading down the sides like waterfalls."

Videos from the Intercontinental Hotel Bangkok have surfaced, showing water spilling out of the swimming pool located on the upper floor. Though the epicenter of the earthquake was near Mayanman, the waves travelled through Bangkok and impacted Thailand. Traffic halted, and many people were stranded on the road, awaiting clearance.

Bangkok is not very prone to seismic activity and is mostly humid and rainy during the monsoon season. For Prem, the quake came as a shock as he was extremely afraid for his 5-year-old daughter. “It was shocking and confusing, but it is fine now,” narrated the father of 5 year. The apartment tower the family lived in was in the same fate, where they were asked to evacuate the building with no time for preparedness. "People were told to use the fire escape stairwell and wait outside the buildings."

"The low-rise buildings were not affected that much, but yes, there has been some effect on high-rise ones. On the higher floors, some people are saying that their belongings fell out of cupboards and pipelines have burst," Narrated Prem Mohanty. After a thorough inspection of the building by the authorities, the family was allowed to enter the building. There were no major challenges for the building however, some cracks appeared.

He further added, "My neighbour on the 22nd floor is a retired German man who ran out with just his pet cat after his bed moved from one side of the room to another. He ran down the stairs and did not stop till he reached the lobby. We have a lot of Japanese expats in the lower Sukhumvit area, and even they have not seen such a big quake in their lives."

In videos emerged, a skyscraper was seen crumbling down, leading to a halt in the major areas of the city.