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Page last updated at 18:00 GMT, Friday, 16 May 2008 19:00 UK
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Couple tell of earthquake terror

An expat from Gloucester has spoken of his "13 minutes of terror" as he and his wife escaped from the 26th floor of flats during the earthquake in China.

Dave Tait and wife Kiki were visiting the apartment of friends Ralph Johnson and his wife Lisa in Mianyang in Sichuan province.

Mr Tait said they were buffeted from side to side hitting the stair walls as the building swayed by up to a metre.

"Loud booms and bangs from the building made it even scarier," he said.

People were screaming, women crying and there was rubble everywhere
Dave Tait

The former presenter at BBC Radio Gloucestershire had been visiting the city for a few days.

Mr Tait and his wife were drinking coffee on the flat's balcony with the Johnsons - also formerly from Gloucestershire - when Monday's earthquake happened.

"Although the 'quake only lasted 13 minutes it took longer than this to get down the stairs," he said.

"People were screaming, women crying and there was rubble everywhere. The top 10 floors appeared to be worst affected, I guess because the sway up higher was greater. But, even as the tremors got less there was always the chance bigger ones could follow."

The couple said thousands of people were running in all directions trying to get away from the building.

Chinese officials fear up to 50,000 may be dead and say almost five million people have been left homeless by Monday's devastating earthquake in China's south-western Sichuan Province.



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