'Everyone was screaming': quake shocks Thailand tourists

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

French tourist Augustin Gus was shopping for a t-shirt in one of Bangkok's many malls when a massive quake began shaking the building in the Thai capital.

"Just when I left the elevator, the earth starts moving. I thought it was me... it was not me," the 23-year-old told AFP.

"Everyone was screaming and running, so I started screaming as well."

The powerful 7.7-magnitude quake struck Friday afternoon in neighbouring Myanmar, where over 1,000 people have been killed and several cities face large-scale destruction.

The damage and toll was far smaller in Bangkok, with 10 people confirmed dead so far, most in the collapse of an under-construction skyscraper.

For many tourists who flocked to the popular destination, the quake was a disconcerting experience.

Some were lazing in rooftop pools when the powerful shaking began to slop the water off the edge of high-rise buildings.

Others were left stranded in the streets with their luggage when the city's metro and light-rail system shut down for safety checks after the quake.

The city's residents, unused to earthquakes, were not able to offer much guidance, said one business traveller from the Solomon Islands, who asked not to be named.

"Unfortunately there were no procedures in place" during his evacuation from the 21st floor of a Bangkok skyscraper on Friday.

"So everyone was getting confused," he said. "I just wanted to get out."

Cristina Mangion, 31, from Malta, was in her hotel bed when the shaking began.

"I thought I was feeling dizzy from the heat," she told AFP.

Hotel staff came to knock at the doors of each room to offer help, and Mangion's father quickly messaged to check she was okay.