www.ambiente.us FEBRUARY | FEBRERO 2010
FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT ON SURVIVING THE EARTHQUAKE
Nelson Perez of Lima Peru –
I am here in Haiti, was here a few days before to do some consulting work.
It was and it is unlike anything I have ever seen, a tragedy that has
touched all in here.
4:53 p.m. - January 19, 2007
Everyone is in state of frantic panic, shock is not the word to describe it, it goes beyond
that. I am bleeding from a head wound and I have hurt my knee and arms with falling
debris. I am scared, shaking, thinking about my family, I think this is surreal, but I am
fine. A quick count of everyone in the office is made, one person is missing, Amedee!!!
Scream a few at the same time. Our colleague lays under the rubble, Luc and others
dragged him out from there and placed him on the street pavement, unconscious,
drifting away and thinking of his wife and kids, dying unless there is a miracle. Helen
prays by his side and I whisper a few words in his ear. Cedric takes it upon himself to
carry him to the nearest hospital and off they went five or six brave and caring men. A
gigantic cloud of dust is mushrooming over the city down below and is coming towards
the hills fast. The cloud brings darkness on all of us right away. Darkness has
descended like a hammer, by now there are thousands of
people walking up and down the hilly roads,
screaming, hurting, looking for their loved
ones. Claude and I are told to go and stay for
the night with Helen, up in the hills, old Tony
accompanies us, he leads the way and of
FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT ON SURVIVING THE EARTHQUAKE
Nelson Perez of Lima Peru –
I am here in Haiti, was here a few days before to do some consulting work.
It was and it is unlike anything I have ever seen, a tragedy that has
touched all in here.
4:53 p.m. - January 19, 2007
Everyone is in state of frantic panic, shock is not the word to describe it, it goes beyond
that. I am bleeding from a head wound and I have hurt my knee and arms with falling
debris. I am scared, shaking, thinking about my family, I think this is surreal, but I am
fine. A quick count of everyone in the office is made, one person is missing, Amedee!!!
Scream a few at the same time. Our colleague lays under the rubble, Luc and others
dragged him out from there and placed him on the street pavement, unconscious,
drifting away and thinking of his wife and kids, dying unless there is a miracle. Helen
prays by his side and I whisper a few words in his ear. Cedric takes it upon himself to
carry him to the nearest hospital and off they went five or six brave and caring men. A
gigantic cloud of dust is mushrooming over the city down below and is coming towards
the hills fast. The cloud brings darkness on all of us right away. Darkness has
descended like a hammer, by now there are thousands of
people walking up and down the hilly roads,
screaming, hurting, looking for their loved
ones. Claude and I are told to go and stay for
the night with Helen, up in the hills, old Tony
accompanies us, he leads the way and of
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course does not know anything about his family. All the way to the house we saw
people in shock, wounded, dying; an older man crying, asking for help to pull his wife
from under the rubble while the house looks that is about to finish crumbling down. I
start realizing there are thousand more in that situation right now, thousands dead or
dying. Building and houses completely collapsed, antennas and electrical posts and
lines on the floor, cars upside down, a gas station with gas tanks burning, smoke,
chaos, destruction and desolation in a massive scale, unlike anything I have ever
seen. We walk up the hill; we have been walking for over an hour, the lower part of the
hill looks fine, in the middle section all house are completely destroyed. Helen has
been brave and talked to us all the way, so has Tony but now they both have fallen
silent, finally we arrive to the house. It is still standing, pretty much undamaged,
Karine, her house mate is fine. Helen cleans my wound with tequila and covers it; I
have a very long drink and thank God that I am still here. There are many aftershocks,
we are in the street for hours, we hear the screams of those finding out a loved one is
dead, groups start chanting, it will go on all night. I won’t be sleeping tonight, I rest my
head on the ground, still bleeding, someone needs to keep the watch tonight.
people in shock, wounded, dying; an older man crying, asking for help to pull his wife
from under the rubble while the house looks that is about to finish crumbling down. I
start realizing there are thousand more in that situation right now, thousands dead or
dying. Building and houses completely collapsed, antennas and electrical posts and
lines on the floor, cars upside down, a gas station with gas tanks burning, smoke,
chaos, destruction and desolation in a massive scale, unlike anything I have ever
seen. We walk up the hill; we have been walking for over an hour, the lower part of the
hill looks fine, in the middle section all house are completely destroyed. Helen has
been brave and talked to us all the way, so has Tony but now they both have fallen
silent, finally we arrive to the house. It is still standing, pretty much undamaged,
Karine, her house mate is fine. Helen cleans my wound with tequila and covers it; I
have a very long drink and thank God that I am still here. There are many aftershocks,
we are in the street for hours, we hear the screams of those finding out a loved one is
dead, groups start chanting, it will go on all night. I won’t be sleeping tonight, I rest my
head on the ground, still bleeding, someone needs to keep the watch tonight.
