Kozhikode: Four tourists from Kozhikode were left shaken after experiencing the terrifying earthquake in Bangkok firsthand. Among them was K K Shajna, a former teacher at Ganapath Girls School here, who, along with three others, found themselves caught in the tremors on Friday.

“We were staying at the Sure Stay Hotel when the earthquake struck,” Shajna recounted. “At first, it felt like some dizziness, then as if someone was pulling the sofa set we were sitting on. Later we realised it was an earthquake,” she recalled. 

Without a moment’s hesitation, they rushed out of the hotel.

Outside, they saw water gushing out forcefully from the overhead tanks of a nearby hotel building. Vehicles remained stranded on the roads, unable to move. Those who attempted to run found themselves struggling to take even a step forward. At the hotel’s swimming pool, guests who were caught off guard were quickly provided with towels and clothes by the staff.

The metro service had come to a standstill, leaving passengers waiting in long queues. With nowhere else to go, they remained inside their vehicles. For nearly eight hours, the city seemed paralysed, with all shops shut.

After hours of uncertainty, food outlets were the first to reopen. “Even patients from hospitals were seen waiting outside on the streets,” Shajna said, recalling the distressing scenes. She assured them that they were now safe in their hotel room.

The group had left Kozhikode on Monday, first flying from Nedumbassery to Kuala Lumpur, then to Phuket, and finally to Bangkok. Accompanying Shajna on the trip were A Shubha, a teacher at Nadakkavu School, and her children Dr Arjun Suresh and Sangeerthana Suresh.