About me
Monday, October 10, 2005
October 8th, 2005
After a busy Friday evening, I was awake all night and had sehri just after finishing my last post. Forced myself to go to bed by 7:30 in the morning and was asleep in a few minutes. But what happened afterwards the real thing is totally indescribable.
Here are some links you should check out.
Suddenly my bed started jumping. I could feel myself in the air for a brief moment. Stuck in a state of shock and awe, I just couldn't think what was happening, instead kept staring at the ceiling. It looked as if my room was a small little box vibrating vigorously!! Shaking as if there were rocket thrusters beneath. :S As if it was on the move. Took me around 10 to 20 seconds to realize that this was not a dream, this was for real. Is this the end, or is it not? What is happening? Why is it happening? Is it really an earthquake? Is it a huge sonic-boom? Is there a war going on? Did a bomb go off? Doesn't sound like it... :S Seems some heavy machinery is traveling beneath my room? Is this how it feels to be riding a huge waveform?
Still staring at the ceiling, screaming from within that its going to finish... Now? .... Or now? .... Is it? And as I kept hoping it finishes the more violent and louder the quake got. Stationary on my desk and shelves clapped against each other, cupboard and windows chattered frequently. Time was either flying or was at a standstill. I couldn't tell. However, after quite some time, I managed to force myself to jump from my frozen state - knowing that I'm trembling so much that I wont be able to unlock the door - I jumped into my wardrobe (which is below a huge beam).
Never felt anything like this, literally felt how it's like to "hold on to dear life". Seeing the room from a different angle made it even more scary. I closed my eyes and prayed that this goes away. Minutes later (which felt never ending) the 'amplitude' of the quake reduced, which gave me enough courage to quickly grab my cell phone, unlock my door, and run like anything!!!
Outside and into the open, meeting a sea of students. Some were in their boxers. Everyone was terrified. The quake was still in action. I quickly sat down on the stairs outside the hostel and took huge signs of relief. Thankfully, the hostels were strong enough to withstand that enormous earthquake. After 15 to 20 minutes of after shocks, thinking it was all over, most of the students moved into the hostel's common room (adjacent to the main doors) switched on the television to know what's going on. From 9 a.m. to 12 noon, within every 10 to 15 minutes, another earthquake struck and again scores of people ran out. After shocks were constantly being felt nonetheless.
First of all, I called up home and told them that I was perfectly safe. Surprisingly they also experienced a 'horrible earthquake'. Other friends having relatives and families in Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, found out that they all felt a 'horrible earthquake'. This left us thinking where the epicenter was. An hour later, local news channels reported that the Margalla Towers in Islamabad collapsed. I had relatives either in that tower or in the neighboring ones. Tried calling them up, but the network was too busy. After every 5 minutes another quake struck :\ All this got very exhausting.
There were mixed feeling about the earthquake. Everyone had a different way of dealing with the terror. The serious ones, those who were affected by the quake and those who lost loved ones, sat silently on the stairs and spoke to no one. The rest were laughing it off. Trying to make fun of the other. Whatever it was, I was just sick and tired of the constant shaking and after shocks and a few frequent earthquakes, that I fled to lie down on a huge open ground and tried to sleep (which i couldn't) till evening. After opening my fast, the sky was quickly filled with huge dark clouds. A storm began in minutes. It was a sign from God. He isn't happy at all.
By then, all the aftershocks and earthquakes made every muscle in my body tired. It had induced a headache and frequently shivering muscles/limbs. Standing on the ground for more than a minute made you feel that there's another earthquake, but you're wrong, its only you and your body/imagination/fear. Then there's this fear, that if your body's trembling you wont be able to feel whether there is an earthquake. Knowing that there is one is better than not knowing at all.. :S .. ugh, scary! :/
Till the end of the 8th of October, we all still in fear, got used to the after shocks and frequent earthquakes.. It was frustrating, annoying, depressing, confusing. I've never seen myself like this ever.
(I've still got a minor headache, and i dont know what I've typed so far, hehe.. I'll post what happened on the 9th later)
Here are some links you should check out.
- Siesmic Activity on the 8th of October
- Another Site: Siesmic Activity on the 8th of October
- History of Siesmic Activity
- Illustration of Quake Activity in the World
- Google Earth: I'm where Tarbela Dam is
Suddenly my bed started jumping. I could feel myself in the air for a brief moment. Stuck in a state of shock and awe, I just couldn't think what was happening, instead kept staring at the ceiling. It looked as if my room was a small little box vibrating vigorously!! Shaking as if there were rocket thrusters beneath. :S As if it was on the move. Took me around 10 to 20 seconds to realize that this was not a dream, this was for real. Is this the end, or is it not? What is happening? Why is it happening? Is it really an earthquake? Is it a huge sonic-boom? Is there a war going on? Did a bomb go off? Doesn't sound like it... :S Seems some heavy machinery is traveling beneath my room? Is this how it feels to be riding a huge waveform?
Still staring at the ceiling, screaming from within that its going to finish... Now? .... Or now? .... Is it? And as I kept hoping it finishes the more violent and louder the quake got. Stationary on my desk and shelves clapped against each other, cupboard and windows chattered frequently. Time was either flying or was at a standstill. I couldn't tell. However, after quite some time, I managed to force myself to jump from my frozen state - knowing that I'm trembling so much that I wont be able to unlock the door - I jumped into my wardrobe (which is below a huge beam).
Never felt anything like this, literally felt how it's like to "hold on to dear life". Seeing the room from a different angle made it even more scary. I closed my eyes and prayed that this goes away. Minutes later (which felt never ending) the 'amplitude' of the quake reduced, which gave me enough courage to quickly grab my cell phone, unlock my door, and run like anything!!!
Outside and into the open, meeting a sea of students. Some were in their boxers. Everyone was terrified. The quake was still in action. I quickly sat down on the stairs outside the hostel and took huge signs of relief. Thankfully, the hostels were strong enough to withstand that enormous earthquake. After 15 to 20 minutes of after shocks, thinking it was all over, most of the students moved into the hostel's common room (adjacent to the main doors) switched on the television to know what's going on. From 9 a.m. to 12 noon, within every 10 to 15 minutes, another earthquake struck and again scores of people ran out. After shocks were constantly being felt nonetheless.
First of all, I called up home and told them that I was perfectly safe. Surprisingly they also experienced a 'horrible earthquake'. Other friends having relatives and families in Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, found out that they all felt a 'horrible earthquake'. This left us thinking where the epicenter was. An hour later, local news channels reported that the Margalla Towers in Islamabad collapsed. I had relatives either in that tower or in the neighboring ones. Tried calling them up, but the network was too busy. After every 5 minutes another quake struck :\ All this got very exhausting.
There were mixed feeling about the earthquake. Everyone had a different way of dealing with the terror. The serious ones, those who were affected by the quake and those who lost loved ones, sat silently on the stairs and spoke to no one. The rest were laughing it off. Trying to make fun of the other. Whatever it was, I was just sick and tired of the constant shaking and after shocks and a few frequent earthquakes, that I fled to lie down on a huge open ground and tried to sleep (which i couldn't) till evening. After opening my fast, the sky was quickly filled with huge dark clouds. A storm began in minutes. It was a sign from God. He isn't happy at all.
By then, all the aftershocks and earthquakes made every muscle in my body tired. It had induced a headache and frequently shivering muscles/limbs. Standing on the ground for more than a minute made you feel that there's another earthquake, but you're wrong, its only you and your body/imagination/fear. Then there's this fear, that if your body's trembling you wont be able to feel whether there is an earthquake. Knowing that there is one is better than not knowing at all.. :S .. ugh, scary! :/
Till the end of the 8th of October, we all still in fear, got used to the after shocks and frequent earthquakes.. It was frustrating, annoying, depressing, confusing. I've never seen myself like this ever.
(I've still got a minor headache, and i dont know what I've typed so far, hehe.. I'll post what happened on the 9th later)
10/10/2005 07:43:00 PM | Permalink 
That is the most graphic and chilling account I've read so far. Didn't know you were so close, but lots of news seems to have come later. Scary experience, hope things are shaping up for you guys now. Long way to go :)