From Tokyo: Witness to disaster
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- From Tokyo: Witness to disaster
TOKYO — One of the largest earthquakes to hit Japan shook the island at 2:46 p.m.
First it was slow. It seemed like any other earthquake that hits Japan from time to time. However, it did not stop. It got stronger and lasted for a few minutes.
The tall buildings in Kasumigaseki, home of government offices in Tokyo, shook like if they are made out of Jell-O. Office workers flooded out of the tall buildings.
Even after the shaking stopped, people could not move. They stood on sidewalks, gazing around. Then they finally took out cell phones and started calling.
About 10 minutes later, some went back into the buildings and went on with their business.
But an aftershock of magnitude 3 hit a few minutes later. People stormed out of the buildings and from subway exits.
Soon the streets were filled with workers in suits. People were dazed; some were wearing helmets.
Some pointed out tall building nearby, shouting, “It’s shaking! It’s shaking!”
The shaking finally stopped again, but this time, people refused to go back into their offices.
On the streets, police were guiding traffic away from old buildings where windows broke and fell onto the streets.
Because the subways were stopped, there were long lines at bus stops and there were no empty taxis.
An hour later, streets were filled with office workers walking home. Streets were filled with cars that could not move.
All public trains and subways were stopped immediately after the earthquake. The stations were shuttered.
Hundreds stood in the streets, trying to figure out how to get home.
