Layton Duncan: “From the shelter of the door frame, as the shaking became more violent, I could see the roof structure moving independent of the walls. Daylight streamed into the room as the roof moved off the walls. The noise was immediate, and horrendous. Breaking glass, bricks shifting, splintering wood. You could see out the windows the surrounding buildings rolling and moving side to side unnaturally. The walls then started to fail. First the parapets, followed by the whole east side wall. The room filled with daylight, then seconds later, mortar dust engulfed the whole room. We waited for the shaking to stop, to avoid falling masonry.”
Being a native Californian I’ve been in my share of earthquakes, but to actually watch as walls collapse? Terrifying.
Wishing the fine people of Christchurch all the best. God Bless.
Sometimes in fear, people simply stand and watch. I have. I can recall watching something I expected to explode once, thinking, “I can’t run fast enough to get away anyhow.”