DEAR ALL,
Close to three months have passed since that surrealistic morning when in a matter of 4-5 minutes our little paradise turned into a gigantic crater filled with mud and debris, and everything around us was pitch-black, cold, wet and windy. Before we even understood that our house was on the move, it fell apart on top of us.
That we managed to escape virtually unharmed is nothing short of a miracle. Living on the ground floor of a 3-storey house that suddenly turns into a pile of broken boards, glass and metal pipes, with the roof like a lid on top of it all, it is not to be expected that you simply can crawl out of it and look down on the disaster.
Nine of our immediate neighbors lost their lives, and so did also a woman who happened to air her dog when the landslide struck at 3:57 in the morning. What used to be an idyllic settlement of villas and houses on a slope with a 9-hole golf course in front of it, instantaneously turned into 20-meter-deep crater of mud and water, big enough to host more than 70 soccer fields. Based upon calculations more than 1,1 million cubic meters of ground had suddenly dissolved.
It very quickly became obvious to us that looking back was not an option. Everything that we possessed was simply gone. Most importantly though, we were somehow still alive and allowed to enjoy yet another day, and this for sure overshadows everything else. It did also not take long before our relatives and friends managed to get through to us with their relief, care and support in all imaginable ways.
We are simply overwhelmed by the consideration that has been shown to us. Photos and memorabilia have been sent to us electronically and by mail, and financial support has been gathered from all around the world. With this Anna, Michelle and I would like to thank you all for everything that you have contributed with in so many different ways.
All money that we have received through the EPBF/WPA crowdfunding, as well as the money that we have received from individuals on the side, have been gathered in a new account that will be used towards the purchase of a new home when the time comes. For the time being we have moved from the hotel where we stayed for two months into a temporary apartment. We expect that we should be able to move into our new home around this time next year.
As you may understand, so much more could be said about what happened back then and ever since, but it all boils down to a simple message from the bottom of our hearts to you, no one mentioned, no one forgotten,
THANK YOU!
The following three pictures were taken today, March 24, 2021. Our house was originally placed to the far left on the first picture. According to common belief, the landslide got started far away to the right (see additional pictures). The first two buildings to start sliding were two 3-storey houses, and ours was one of them.
We didn’t know what was going on and thought at first that someone was trying to break in. We couldn’t feel that the house was moving, but this became obvious just 4-5 minutes later when our house collapsed, and we were able to identify where we were.
The second picture gives you a fairly good understanding of the size of the disaster. The rig in the center of the picture is used to drill deep holes in the ground and to collect samples that will be analyzed.
According to what we have been told, one layer of so-called “quick-mud” was turned into a floating mass, which in turn is what started the landslide. Supposedly there is a second layer of this mud further down into the ground, and the task is now first of all to try to drain the area from water and to stabilize the ground with various measures.
On the third picture, behind the big lorry, is where our house stopped and then finally collapsed. Currently there are a number of excavators carefully moving debris out of the way in order to, hopefully, be able to recover some of the items that people have lost in the landslide.
The road that you can see leading into the crater was built in order for provide an entry-point into the crater at a time when 10 people still were missing.
