Japan earthquake: 'Buildings looked like they'd turned to jelly' – Hull teacher

​HULL and East Yorkshire people have been contacting friends and relatives in Japan after an earthquake and tsunami ripped across the country.

An 8.9 magnitude quake and 13-foot tsunami brought devastation to a wide area, prompting fears of a massive death toll.

Members of our Facebook page have been telling us about their attempts to contact friends and relatives caught up in the disaster.

Among them were Lee Patrick, who told of how a friend on Honolulu was expecting the tsunami to hit at any moment, and Eve Lomax, who spoke of her relief at discovering a friend from Hull in Mito-shi, close to the epicentre of the quake, was okay.

Philip Lee, 35, an English teacher from Hull who lives and works in Osaka, said the city "swayed" during the quake, despite being 400 miles from the epicentre.

"It took only three seconds to reach us and was powerful enough to set the tower blocks and sky scrapers of downtown Osaka swaying.

"Looking out of my 9th floor window the buildings around looked as though they'd turned to jelly. Very odd for 30-floor-high concrete and steel buildings. The interior walls of my office buckled in and out so much it was like a Rolf Harris wobble board."

● Do you have friends or relatives in Japan affected by the earthquake? Call or email Trudi Davidson: t.davidson@mailnewsmedia.co.uk or call her on 01482 398115, or post on our Facebook page

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