Kobe Quake@SLNgeog

Kobe Earthquake -Eyewitness reports

Akatsukayama Highschool Students

Yasuyo Morita (17 years old )
At that time I was sleeping. First I thought my mother was waking me up, but I knew from her scream ---It is an Earthquake! I didn't know what to do in the dark. The stairs are destroyed, so I went down using a ladder with barefeet wearing pyjamas. I couldn't stop my tears because of darkness and coldness. I was in a panic. There are lot of wooden houses in my neighbourhood. Now they are destroyed without pity. Soon it got lighter and I could see my surroundings. Some went mad. I went to hospital with my grandmother who was rescued from a heap of rubble. Her finger was tearing off. We got to hospital. It was a hell on the earth. A man bleeding from his head , a child --- purplish maybe because of suffocation. It was filled with people. My grandmother was disinfected that's all. Her injury was not serious compared with others. My grandmother's house and my grandfather's house ,both are burned down. We couldn't get out anything. The town I like changed in a moment. I was sad. Now I live in one of refuges and I get scared during the night. I want to see Kobe rebuilt again soon.

Ryo Wamaki (17 years old)
On the morning of January 17th, I was going to get up at six o'clock because I got supplementary lessons. When I awoke and looked at the clock, I heard a dreadful noise and my room began to move around. At first I don't understand what was happening. It had been said we would not have earthquakes in Kansai area, so I thought it must not be... But harder and harder it got. I was too afraid to say anything. I can only stay in Futon. After the quake, I could see nothing. I used candle ....... which was very dangerous because there may be gas leaking.

Nada Elementary School Students

Makoto Yamauchi (11 years old )
I was waken by the quake. When I went out of the room my brother said, "Stay in futon!". I did as I was told. Soon after that ,there was a big aftershock. My grandfather said from the first floor," Are you alright?" I went toward the river, and there was a fire. My brother and his friends did bucket-relay and got the fire extinguished.

Yuriko Noguchi (10 years old )
I was under the drawers. My father got me out of it. When we went out of my house, I saw fires around. My sister was shuddering. My mother said it was lucky I could get out from under the drawers. We went to Nada Elementary school. Smokes were around us. I said to my mother, "Will the fire come to our house?" She answered with tender voice, "Pray, you don't have to worry." Father got something out from my house though fires were very near. There was no water for fire-engines. My house was in a fire. I cried. "Why! Why ! " I have to change my school though I don't want to.

This page last updated 09 February 2004