freight train

Nathan Crooks, a journalist for Business News Americas, told CBS News he was asleep in Santiago when the quake hit, violently shaking his house.

« We’re used to earthquakes in Chile, and we get lots of tremors. You could tell that this one was different from the sound of it. It was really violent! I have never been in an earthquake this large.

« You could hear the walls shaking, books dropping, dishes dropping, it was this general roar, almost like a freight train – everything combined, everywhere in the entire city. »

Crooks positioned himself under a doorframe.

« I live in a new high rise built for earthquakes, » he said. « It was interesting to see the building move with the quake.

« Another thing was how LONG it went on. It went on for a loooong time, » said Crooks. « That’s what surprised me the most. It was violent shaking for what seemed like a couple of minutes. »

Crooks said electric power out was out. « I went downstairs to get a handle of what was going on, to make sure no structural damage to the building. There was no cell phone service. You could hear car alarms going off, sirens, a lot of general commotion. »

Public transport was stopped. He described the rubble he saw on a brief walk, and 서울출장샵 the fate of one of the most famous churches in Santiago. « Not too much damage, but the main church of Providencia in the old part of town, one of the top towers collapsed. It’s very potent to see that image. »

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