Miraculous escape for M'sian businessman in Padang

A Malaysian businessman could not believe his good fortune when he was tossed into the swimming pool of the hotel he was staying in when an earthquake struck Padang in West Sumatra city two days ago.

The hotel was completely detroyed.

Wong Lee Kwong, 52, who was still exhausted while relating his ordeal, said he had just registered at the Ambacang Hotel a half-hour earlier when the quake struck.

"I was preparing to take a bath and had just a towel on when suddenly the hotel building shook, tilted and was demolished," said Wong who was on the fourth floor.

"The hotel tilted to the left causing me to be thrown into the swimming pool," he said when met the at the Minangkabau International Airport.

Wong, who had scratches on his back due to falling concrete, came out of the pool naked and was cared for by a hotel employee who provided him with clothing.

He said amid the confusion and mayhem, and with lots of screaming, he was taken to an open area for safety.

Grateful to RMAF

"I was indeed lucky that people helped me or I do not know what would have happened to me," said Wong, who expressed thanks that he was allowed to take a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) flight to Malaysia this morning.

A family that was holidaying in the area also related their ordeal when the 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck.

Badrulamin Mohd Sharif, 30, from Kuala Lumpur said he, his wife, two daughters, mother-in-law, and two sisters-in-law had been in the area holidaying since Thursday last week.

"While we were shopping at the Bukit Tinggi market complex, suddenly the building shook and people ran out shouting 'earthquake'," he said.

Alarmed at the situation, he led his family to an open space about 100m away.

Thank God, we were safe and not injured. After getting information from Malaysian embassy staff here we were allowed to go home with Malaysian students," he said.

Badrulamin and family got on a RMAF aircraft at about 6am Malaysian time.

- Bernama