‘We ran out in our nightwear’ — Nigerian recounts earthquake experience in Turkey

Emmanuel Olaitan, a Nigerian in Turkey, has narrated his experience during the earthquake that hit Turkey on Monday.

Speaking with BBC Pidgin on Tuesday, Olaitan said the earthquake left him and his family homeless.

Living in Gaziantep, one of the cities affected by the earthquake in Turkey, Olaitan said the disaster struck around 4:17am.

He narrated that he watched a documentary on the 9/11 terrorist attack hours before the incident and wondered how it would feel like to be in a building that was attacked.

“I was imagining how the victims of the 9/11 attack felt when their building was attacked not knowing that the next day, something like this would happen to me,” BBC Pidgin quoted the father of two as saying.

He added that the experience has reduced his curiosity.

“My family and I are homeless as we speak,” Olaitan said.

“I didn’t feel anything at first when the building started to shake because it’s a normal thing in my area. But immediately I saw the cracks on the wall, I quickly grabbed my wife and children and started running out of the house.

“Before the house collapsed, I ran back into the house twice to take shoes for my wife and kids, and important documents.

“We were all in our nightwear. I was wearing boxers and singlet so I had to run back to pick up a piece of clothing for my family because they were freezing.”

Turkey is currently battling a rain and snow storm that is hampering rescue efforts.

For Olaitan, seeing a home he had live in for 10 years crumble to the ground is a memory he wishes he could erase.

“Even as I walked on the staircase, the whole building was shaking. I almost lost my footing as a result, and you can imagine how terrible it was because we lived on the third floor,” he said.

“Everyone has vacated the building. Right now, we’re living at a friend’s whose house is on the ground floor.”

Olaitan added that many people now live in sport centres and museums with stronger foundations even as there are reports of another impending earthquake.

“We’re just looking for safety because even right now, you can still feel the vibrations at every interval,” he added.

TheCable had reported how a second earthquake of a 7.5 magnitude hit the middle eastern country.

According to BBC pidgin, Olaitan is yet to hear from the Nigerian high commission.

This is even as President Muhammadu Buhari has assured the affected country of Nigeria’s full support.