So today (Thursday, 13th October 2011), there was an earthquake in Bali, the island where I live. I just want to write in my blog about the earthquake and my experience when it happened.
So the earthquake happened around 11.15 a.m., and I was at school during that time. My friends and I just got back from the canteen. We just fed the fish in our class aquarium, then our Physics teacher came to class. Before we began Physics, however, our principal and classroom teacher came in to explain a few things.
Then just out of the sudden we felt the ground shake and we heard the windows vibrate. My first reaction was to cover my head, for I was a bit shocked in hearing the rattles around me. My classroom is in the third floor, so it is pretty high, and we could feel the ground shaking. Then I jumped out of my seat, and headed for the door. A friend of mine told us all to calm down, but by then everyone in the entire school had run out of their classes. The alarm was rung, and everyone just dashed down the stairs. It was a bit scary for me because of all the chaos, but once we got out of the building I felt much calmer.
Once everyone was securely out of the school building, we gathered in the football field. Teachers, students, helpers, the staff, everyone was there. I've never seen my school's football field so fully packed before! Everyone had different reactions to the earthquake; some of my friends were still keeping their cool, some were discussing the quake heatedly with others, and a few were crying. Several of the younger kids in our school cried, including my brother. I was relieved when I found him, and I soon managed to calm him down. I could only imagine how scary the experience must be for little kids. My heart couldn't stop pounding even after the earthquake had stopped.
I didn't know how long the quake occurred, but my friend said it was probably around 30 seconds. I don't know, I couldn't count on how long it was when everyone was busy running out of the building. I was just glad that everyone was safe, and that I have found my brother.
Next I tried to call my parents. My teacher had her cell phone with her, so I tried to dial my Mom and Dad. My call couldn't get through. "Network Busy", it said, and "Connection Error." Some of my friends started calling their families too, but only a couple of them succeeded. The telephone line must have had some disturbance.
I was beginning to worry about my parents. I knew my Mom was in her office, and at the moment I didn't know if my Dad was away or at home. My own cell phone was in the principal's office, for students are supposed to have their cell phones collected during school hours.
So I tried using the school's phone, but again, it didn't work. Then one of my classmates came up to me and handed me my phone. He had gone upstairs again and took our cell phones! I was relieved. Finally I could call my Mom. She said she was okay, and that my Dad was going to our school to check up on us. I was glad everyone was okay!
There was a TV on my school's lobby, so we could see the news on the earthquake. We were surprised to know that the earthquake was 6,8 Scala Ritcher! The center of the quake, it was said, was in Nusa Dua, in Southern Bali, and it was 10 kilometers in depth. Nusa Dua is near to my house and school area. We were tremendously relieved, though, when we heard that there was no potential of a tsunami happening. Only that there would be a few more earthquakes in the next hours, so we needed to watch out.
My Dad came to school, and then my brother and I went home. A lot of the kids were getting picked up by their parents, and school was cancelled for the rest of the evening. Later I found out that there were buildings in Bali that cracked or was broken because of the quake. A hospital in Denpasar, for example, had some of its roof fallen out. A shopping center in Sunset Road had parts of its wall teared down, and even in my school and my Mom's office the walls slightly cracked. The quake was also felt by the people in East Java. I heard there were around 45 people injured, but none were killed, thankfully. I do not know much of the updates on the aftermath of the earthquake, but I just wrote the information I got from twitter, the news, and my friends.
Small earthquakes happened again afterwards, and at four p.m., a 5,6 SR earthquake occurred. I didn't feel it though. Now it's 11.32 p.m. in Bali. There is an issue that another earthquake will come at 2 a.m., so we just keep on praying and being careful. I do hope no more earthquakes will happen, and that we all will be safe and protected by GOD.
So, yeah, all and all it was a pretty terrifying experience for me, but I'm just glad my family's all safe and sound at home now. I do believe that GOD will protect us. To those living in Bali, stay safe everyone! #prayforBali
-RiRi-
