EARTHQUAKE IN BANGKOK: KEDAH WOMEN'S CYCLING TEAM SAFE

ALOR SETAR, March 29 (Bernama) --  The Kedah women’s cycling team participating in the Tour of Thailand 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, expected to begin on Monday, is safe, said head coach Noor Alfizar Othman.

The capital was shaken by earthquake tremors yesterday.

She said that the four cyclists and four officials arrived at Don Mueang International Airport at 11.45 am yesterday and relocated to another area approximately 400 kilometres from Bangkok.

“We departed yesterday and are expected to return home on April 5 after the competition concludes. We arrived at the hotel at 12.50 pm, and everything was fine then, so we all went to our rooms.

“However, suddenly, one of the athletes, sitting on a chair, informed us that the chair was shaking. After that, I felt the hotel building swaying left and right, and when I pulled back the window curtain, I saw the electric poles and traffic lights on the road swaying as well,” she said when contacted by Bernama today.

She added that at that moment, they saw people outside scrambling in all directions, and at the same time, the hotel receptionist asked them to leave and move to a safer area.

“The situation was quite chaotic...I told them to grab their important belongings and dash out of the hotel. We wanted to flee and be far from Bangkok to ensure our safety.

“Thank God, we are all safe, and all the relatives and families of the athletes have been contacted and informed about their safety and wellbeing,” she said.

Noor Alfizar added that a representative from the Malaysian National Cycling Federation had contacted her to inquire about their condition, and officials from the Thailand Cycling Association had also helped them leave Bangkok earlier this morning.

“Yesterday, most of us couldn’t sleep because we were worried, and there was still some tremor, though not as severe as the first one. Moreover, we could hear the sound of ambulance and fire truck sirens until early morning.

“However, thankfully, all the athletes regained their calm, composure and spirits after seeing cyclists from other teams here. They are eager to start the race next Monday, and seeing that situation, I, as the head coach, also feel relieved,” she said.

The Thailand Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar at 1.20 pm, with tremors felt in Bangkok.

-- BERNAMA