CHENNAI: The tremor that hit the city on Wednesday afternoon might have lasted for just about five seconds but it was enough to alarm offices across the city. Office complexes were evacuated within minutes as people scampered for open spaces.Just after the tremor struck, at Nungambakam High Road, the chaos resembled a scene straight out of a disaster movie. There was a traffic snarl near Taj Coramandel hotel around 2.30 pm when motorists were taken by surprise as hundreds of men and women dressed in office attire started pouring out on to the footpath from the innumerable offices that dot this arterial road. Initially, some suspected a fire accident, but within minutes the news of the tremor spread. Motorists stopped at the sidewalks to enquire what had happened. When asked what had really transpired in those few seconds, there were a number of versions.“We were working on our computers and suddenly the pen holder on the table started shaking. We immediately realised it was an earthquake,” said Vijayan, who was standing outside the NABARD office in Nungambakam. Several others said that the tremor blacked out their computer monitors after which they ran out. However, DVD vendors near Anna Arch said they mistook the tremor for resultant vibration from the on-going Metro Rail Work. “We thought it was the drillers that they had started using a few days back. But when we switched on the TV we realised it was an earthquake. It was actually the TV that caused the tremor in us,” said Mari, one of the vendors. Those who spoke to Express near the Ambit Mall in Ambattur said offices were closed at half time after the earthquake. However, the second tremor at around 4.30 pm spooked those who had returned to their seats. “The second time around we said we cannot work anymore,” said M Balakrishnan, an IT employee.
Comments
0 comment