By Strong Lin (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-05-15 07:34

I just finished a brief business talk with Zheng Deming, president of steam turbine manufacturer Dongqi Casting, when I came out of the office building and waited for a taxi.

It was about 2:25 pm.

A longer stay might have been fatal for me.

Just a few moments later, the ground started shaking.

Then the earth rumbled, and it felt like the ground would break up anytime.

I felt a little dizzy and fumbled about in front of the building. Other buildings nearby started to topple.

Many young girls on site became paralyzed with fear, sitting on the ground and screaming.

I was also frozen by fear for a few seconds, before realizing what was at stake.

But I calmed myself and kept alert for the possible dangers of buildings collapsing, vehicles veering out of control and falling electrical poles.

The powerful quake seemed to have lasted for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Dust filled the air. I heard people screaming and crying on the street.

I walked on, searching for a car to get away from the area. Fortunately, a bus was passing by and I got on.

On the way to the city of Deyang, I saw many injured.

I arrived in Deyang at about 4 pm. After searching for a cab for one and a half hours, I managed to catch one and paid 300 yuan to travel back to Chengdu.

I later heard of reports about Premier Wen Jiabao visiting the factory I was at - it was one of the most seriously damaged in the quake, with 95 percent of its buildings destroyed.

Strong Lin is a sales manager of an American company.