While rescue workers on the Indonesian island of Sumatra continue their search for victims, many people from the area realise how lucky they were to escape injury or even death. 

One of them is Indonesian-born Sitta Yan, who lives in The Netherlands but was on a visit with relatives in Padang when the earthquake struck.  "This earthquake was different than the ones we are used to", she told Radio Netherlands Worldwide. "I was standing in the middle of the road and suddenly everything started moving. I went back into the house to check the damage, but there were only a few burst waterpipes".

"I then went to a friend's house nearby and I saw a huge fire, thinking it was her house. I started running to see if I could help", Sitta continues.  "But it turned out to be someone else's house. Nevertheless, we tried to help to put the fire out, just with pots and pans and anything that could contain water".

Emergency services
Panic broke out, especially as emergency services were nowhere to be seen in the area. "Luckily I had some band aids and Chinese medicine in my bag, which I gave to other people. Just trying to do what I could", Sitta says.

"Padang is clearly not built for earthquakes", she concludes.  "Houses and buildings are very weak; they're not built of steel or anything".

Unreal
She returned home to The Netherlands on Thursday, but it takes some adapting. "It's so unreal. It's weird being back", she says. "I've been in Indonesia for two months and now this happens. It seems so quiet and normal here, so I just want to go back and help. But not empty handed. Maybe I'll try to get some organisation together to help".

Listen to an interview with Sitta Yan: