Irishman describes quake terror

AN Irishman working in Tokyo spoke of his terror last night at the moment one of the strongest quakes ever to hit the region struck.

Bill Schuster, 47, a marketing executive with a large pharmaceutical firm, was in a meeting with colleagues on the fourth floor of an office block in downtown Tokyo when it began to shake violently just before 3pm local time yesterday.

“I was extremely frightening. It was a nerve-wracking situation. The building was moving backwards and forwards,” he said.

“People dived under tables and were holding hands and hugging.

“We thought the building was going to fall. We were considering going outside because we weren’t sure if it would survive the quake.

“I decided to leave the building and head outside to the subway, which is probably the safest place to be.”

Mr Schuster said long- time Tokyo residents who’ve lived through previous earthquakes said this was the strongest quake they’ve ever felt.

“Japan is prepared for this sort of thing but people I’ve spoken to say it’s the worst they’ve experienced,” he said.

“When you see Japanese people getting nervous, you get nervous yourself.”

There was a sense of panic on the streets in the moments after the initial quake, and when two strong aftershocks rocked the city of 22 million people, he said.

There was gridlock on the streets later as the city’s public transport system was shut down. Several thousand city workers began leaving the business districts on foot.

Most spent last night in train stations waiting for the transport system to restart this morning.

Mr Schuster, who has lived and worked in Tokyo with his partner for three years, said: “People are quite calm but still a little nervous. The mood is quite good. It is a well-ordered and structured society,” he said.