By Phil Quake
News agencies and television channels across Romania last night officially called off their three-day search for people injured in last Saturday’s minor yet tragic earthquake.
“It really is a tragedy,” said Catalin-Radu Tanase, top news reporter at Romania’s most popular TV station, Pro TV. “We have sent reporters all over the country to find the injured but after three days we have yet to find a single person with even a scratch caused by the earthquake. There was a woman in Vaslui who said a tea cup fell off the table and left a stain on her carpet she can’t shift, but that was about it.”
Over at news channel Realitatea the disappointment was even greater. “We had the helicopter poised for take off,” said a spokesman. “We had plans on bringing our viewers dramatic shots of devastation and tent cities. But instead there is nothing for us to report. We have tried to panic the population a bit with stories of how many buildings will fall down if there really is a big earthquake, but it seems people aren’t interested. They want us to go back to reporting proper news stories. It’s a real shame.”
Catalin Radu-Tanase is 1977.
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So was there any serious damage? I’ve been trying to reach family there but keep getting “all circuits are busy” and they have not been online.
Hey – earthquakes are very serious business in Romania. The combination of shoddy construction and the odd little shake plays hell with the plasterwork.
I remember a ‘bad’ earthquake a few years ago when all the Romanians were going on about how it reminded them of 1977 (most of them were either not born then or about 5 years old). I had not noticed it as had been enjoying some lovely booze in a cellar bar. Best place to sit out an earthquake.
The press workers should be hanged or burned on a cross because they attract bad luck.