SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A Rancho Peñasquitos woman spoke to loved ones in Myanmar as they recounted the terrifying moments her family experienced during a massive earthquake that damaged their home in the country's second-largest city.
Alison Phan, whose family lives about 12 miles from the quake's epicenter in Mandalay, said it was difficult not being there with her loved ones.
"I feel sad, guilty, helpless and hopeless," Phan told ABC 10News reporter Michael Chen.
Phan's aunt, Kyi Kyi Sein, was in the family's four-story home with her 5-year-old grandson when the building started shaking just before 1 p.m. local time.
"I stood holding him. The pictures came off the walls. I felt like I was being yanked in the air," Sein said.
The shaking lasted one to two minutes, Sein recounted.
"It was so scary. I hugged my grandson tightly because I thought 'This is the end. I will die.'"
After the shaking had stopped, Sein ran outside with her grandson. She would later survey the damage, which included cracked walls, a crumbling staircase and toppled furniture.
"Everywhere I look, there is damage," Sein said. "Just so grateful I am alive and my family is okay."
Phan's family is now staying at a relative's house about an hour and a half from Mandalay as they begin the process of rebuilding. It's unclear how much, if any, of the damage will be covered by the family's insurance.
Phan started a GoFundMe campaign to help with relief efforts for the Mandalay area.
Across Mandalay, similar heart-wrenching scenes of destruction unfolded.
"My youth, my memories, my hometown. It's all gone," Phan said.
