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The landslide occurred at 6 a.m. just as the family was
getting ready for school. They heard a loud rumbling sound coming from the
direction of the hill slopes. Although they rushed to the balcony of their
apartment on the tenth floor, they could not see anything. The whole area
was enveloped in bleak darkness. It was evident that the heavy rain during
the past week must have taken its toll on the hill slopes. They pushed the
thought to the back of their minds and went about having their breakfast.
By the time they got ready for school, Dad called out to them. They rushed
to the balcony where Dad was standing. The sun was already up and in the
dazzling brightness, they could see boulders the size of bulldozers resting
at the foot of the slopes. A neighbor informed them that a major landslide
had occurred. They rushed to the basement, where they saw rescue workers
already there and removing buried vehicles from the rubble. The landslide
had also cut off the only road to town.
Office workers and school children were left stranded. They were not allowed
to go anywhere near the area where the rescue work was in progress. They
could not do anything but stand and watch helplessly. There was also a power
failure, which meant that they had to suffer the heat and on top of it,
could not watch television. The news of the landslide had started to spread,
and people were calling in from around the city to check if their loved ones
were safe.
During the initial stages, they were told that the residents from the two
apartment blocks might have to be evacuated. This caused residents a great
deal of anxiety. Later, when the police, firemen, and various authorities
met, they decided against the evacuation. Everyone was relieved.
They spent the whole day just watching the rescue workers at work. They
prayed silently that the whole episode would soon be over. They were told to
go back to their apartments and remain there until further notice. Later
that night, they were told that the access road had been cleared and that
there were no casualties or massive damage to property. They all heaved
sighs of relief when they heard this. Mum led them in saying a thanksgiving
prayer. They had a lot to be thankful for.
As they got ready to go to bed that night, they recollected the events that
occurred that day. They were glad the day had come to an end. They felt
exhausted, emotionally drained, and thankful that their family was safe. The
day was a reminder of how quickly life can change and how little control
they had over natural disasters. They hoped and prayed that such an event
would never happen again. They also realized how important it was to have an
emergency plan in place and to remain vigilant during times of heavy
rainfall. The family went to bed that night with a renewed sense of
gratitude and a deeper understanding of the fragility of life. |
