Worksop man speaks after quake terror

In this photo released by China's Xinhua news agency, people carrying their belongings walk in quake-damaged Gucheng Village, Longmen Township, Lushan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Saturday, April 20, 2013. A powerful earthquake struck the steep hills of Sichuan province Saturday, nearly five years after a devastating quake wreaked widespread damage across the region. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Fei Maohua) NO SALES

Philip Greening-Jackson, 56, said he thoughtsomething was wrong with the bus when the 6.6 magnitude quake hit on the morning of Saturday 20th April.

“The bus was bouncing all over. This went on for several seconds and I then realised it was an earthquake.”

Philip, who is Head of Humanities at a school in Chengdu, said he also remembered the disaster when a major quake hit China in 2008 - killing more than 60,000 people.

“There was a great deal of hysteria from some people this time - I think they remembered the big one five years ago,” he said.

“The damage has been minimal but there have been quite a lot of serious aftershocks.”

As the Guardian went to press, Chinese media reports state the death toll from Saturday’s earthquake has reached 188, with more than 11,000 injured and 21 missing.

Philip, who is an amateur blacksmith, said: “I had hand-forged a Channukiah - the nine-branch Jewish candlestick we use at Channukah - a Jewish festival around Christmas time,” he said.

“It was on top of a cupboard and fell off after the quake, and got bent. There is some talk of auctioning it in its current state for the earthquake appeal, which I think would be great.”