Turkish Professor Describes Experience of 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake in Japan: I Was in Shock

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the southern part of Japan's Kumamoto prefecture, leaving a Turkish professor who had arrived in the area just a month ago shaken. Professor Halilibrahim Çiftçi recounted the moment of the earthquake, stating that it occurred while he was turning right at a traffic light and that he was in shock inside his vehicle. Professor Çiftçi explained that he was on his way to the university campus after a hospital appointment when the earthquake hit, causing his 25-minute journey to take 2 hours due to the resulting traffic conditions. He noted that his residence was 5 kilometers away from the Aeon Mall shopping center, which suffered damage to its roof and walls. Upon arriving at the university, he found that everyone had evacuated the building, only to experience another tremor. The university administration sent an email warning to 'move to safe areas if not secure,' and Professor Çiftçi mentioned that his neighbor took 3 hours to travel a distance that normally takes 30 minutes by train, and that aftershocks were still occurring.