The shock is still good at Arianna Razenberg from Wagenberg. She is on a world trip with her husband and was in the Philippines on Tuesday during the heavy earthquake. The epicenter was in the sea near the island of Cebu, but still very felt about a hundred kilometers away. “The building began to shake, the current dropped out and then we immediately grabbed our things.”
“It started to shake around four past ten,” says Arianna from the Philippines. “We were in eight high in our apartment when it started. My husband and I went to hide under the bar in our kitchen.” After the quake they quickly caught their things and went outside. “Together with hundreds of others, we waited outside for after -shocks and safety controls.”
The quake had a force of 6.9 and took about ten seconds. At least 69 people were killed in the earthquake, but the death toll is still rising. The hospital in Bogo City, close to the epicenter, is overloaded because of the many wounded.
Reunion after 17 years
Arianna is on a world trip with her husband. The Philippines is an important destination for the two. “After 17 years I would finally see my family here again,” she says.
It was actually intended that Arianna would see her family in 2022, but Corona would not take place at the time. “Last year my grandfather died and I couldn’t say goodbye to him. I didn’t want to wait any longer to see my family again,” Arianna explains her world trip.
Together with her husband, she came up with a plan and started saving. “To make a very nice trip and to visit my family.”
Disaster area
Her family lives in a half -hour drive from the heavily affected city of Bogo. “My grandmother, aunts and uncle were pulled into the mountains after the earthquake and spent the night there as a precaution. They live close to the coast and there was a tsunami hazard.”
Her uncle fell and injured during the earthquake. “But everyone is out of danger.”
The municipality where her family lives has been hit hard. “The church has collapsed and the facades of houses have been demolished.” The two do not yet know whether the houses of her family have been damaged. It is also unclear whether and how they can get to their family. “We don’t know if the roads are passable to them.”
Arianna also pays attention to the danger every moment on Wednesday. “There have already been several aftershocks. We are extra alert and have our most important items ready for when we have to act quickly.”
Arianna has made the world trip with the earthquake. “If everything starts to tremble, you realize how vulnerable you are. And there is nothing you can do.”