Experienced a magnitude 7.7 earthquake, and the experiences of digital homeless people in Chiang Mai

Author: angelilu, Foresight News

When the earth shakes: a special test for digital vagrants

On Friday, March 28, 2024, at around 2 p.m., a magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred in Myanmar, and the shock waves quickly affected neighboring countries. Four days passed, the number of victims continued to rise, and rescuers were still searching for survivors in the ruins. Regarding the severity and overall impact of the earthquake, information and personal experiences seem to lag behind reality.

The earthquake had a particularly significant impact on neighboring Thailand. On the eve of Bangkok Blockchain Week, many Web3 practitioners gathered in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and everyone was very concerned about the development of the disaster. As a witness in Chiang Mai, I wanted to record this experience as soon as possible, but I found that the dizziness and weak hands and feet after the shock made it difficult for me to concentrate.

On the first day after the earthquake, there were few reports on Myanmar's disaster areas, but the situation in Bangkok became clearer. I didn't care at that time, and as the relevant news gradually increased, I just felt more and more scared. In recent days, there is always a sensory illusion of "illusion shock". Motorcycles roared past the window, and the slight tremor from the ground made me wonder if aftershocks were coming. At night, I was often awakened by the shocks that I don't know if they were real. I hurriedly grabbed my phone, refreshed the earthquake monitoring website, and looked for the aftershock record that might not exist.

In the face of uneasiness, a deep understanding of the overall picture of the incident is the best antidote. After collecting information and communicating with others, I have compiled this article, hoping to provide some reference and comfort to people who have also experienced this earthquake.

Episode Notes: The Moment When English Class Is Shattered

This time I came to Chiang Mai to learn English offline. That day, I was sitting in the classroom of an English institution to concentrate on studying. Suddenly, the tables and chairs began to shake slightly, and the tremor gradually increased. Everyone seemed to be a little slow to react, as if they were thinking whether this was really an earthquake? Several quick-responsive Chinese students immediately got under the desk to take risks, while our British teacher looked confused, obviously quite unfamiliar with this phenomenon. When the first wave of shaking slowed down, I immediately suggested, "We should go to the open space outside!" The classmate in the same row turned around and wanted to get his backpack, so I hurriedly stopped him, "Go out first, just bring your phone with you."

Chiang Mai is mainly bungalow buildings, which has become our luck at this moment. When we rushed to the outdoors, there were already a group of people standing there, with different expressions but equally uneasy. The fish pond in front of the door, which was usually like a mirror, was surging at this moment, like a coffee cup shaking violently by an invisible hand, and the water splashed constantly hit the wall of the pond. Everyone took out their cell phones, contacting relatives and friends to confirm safety, while searching for earthquake-related information.

The scorching sun is in the sky, and the heat outside Chiang Mai is quickly unbearable. When everything seemed to return to peace, we returned to the classroom to continue the lessons. In this English class, we temporarily learned two new vocabulary "earthquake" and "aftershock". Not long after a noticeable aftershock hit again and we hurriedly evacuated the classroom. At this time, news about the earthquake was found on your mobile phone: the source of the earthquake is located in Mandalay, Myanmar, 494 kilometers away from Chiang Mai. All the complicated panic ended in that English class, and then met and chatted with friends and had dinner with new friends.

Code and Aftershock: The Earthquake Moment of Web3

During the chat, I learned that a considerable number of Web3 practitioners gathered in Chiang Mai. When the earthquake waves penetrated the city, there was no unified emergency plan for Web3 practitioners in remote working mode, no command from the company's security supervisor, and no drilled evacuation route. Everyone has become their own crisis manager, improvising their respective response strategies.

On social media, a netizen shared his textbook-like emergency response: when he felt the first tremor, he immediately grabbed all the electronic devices, went downstairs and rushed to the open space outside. The whole process was no more than 20 seconds.

However, not everyone can keep it so calm. A friend admitted that he couldn't even wear clothes well in panic. The more nervous he was, the less obedient his fingers were, and simple movements on weekdays became extremely difficult in critical moments. Another practitioner shared that he was in a meeting and could only run out with his laptop in his arms. Some developers shared that their first reaction was to save the code, and the team originally planned to release a new version at that time, but due to the earthquake, they had to release it in a delay.

Practitioners who have been wandering abroad for a long time said that they may suddenly miss home and experience the sadness of wandering. In various exchange groups at Chiang Mai station, practical information is also spreading rapidly: from aftershock warning time to precautions for earthquake risk aversion, and help each other as much as possible.

Although Chiang Mai is one of the closest Thai cities in Myanmar, fortunately, most of them are bungalows, and the actual losses are not very large. A few high-rise residential buildings have problems such as curvy columns and cracks in the walls. They are temporarily prohibited from moving in. Some mutual aid groups are also lending their extra bungalows and villas to residents who cannot return to high-rise buildings.

Bangkok: Chain reaction outside the epicenter

Compared with Chiang Mai, the disaster in Bangkok is more serious. Although it is more than 1,000 kilometers away from the epicenter, an unfinished 30-storey building in Bangkok collapsed in the shock waves. In addition, the tremor of the high-rise buildings is particularly strong. The water in the infinity pool on the top floor of many luxury hotels splashed out like a waterfall, splashing out from 50 floors to the streets. This scene became one of the most visually impactful pictures in the earthquake.

Why is Bangkok so seriously affected? Seismologists pointed out several key factors: First, the earthquake's source is extremely shallow, only 10 kilometers deep, greatly increasing the intensity of the surface vibration; second, the energy released by this 7.7-magnitude earthquake even exceeded the Hiroshima atomic bomb; more importantly, the fault where the earthquake is located extends in a straight line, like a highway, efficiently transmitting huge energy to Thailand along a distance of 1,200 kilometers. The geological conditions in Bangkok are even worse - the city is built on a soft sedimentary layer, like a huge piece of jelly, and when the earthquake waves pass through it, it not only does not attenuate but is amplified.

Many users on social media reported that due to the earthquake, Bangkok's urban traffic was basically paralyzed, subway services were suspended, road congestion lasted for several hours, and the ordinary half-hour journey home turned into a long torment of four or five hours.

The Southeast Asian Blockchain Week (SEABW), which was scheduled for the next week (April 2-3), also had to be cancelled urgently. Officials said they would use their channels to help the affected people establish connections. Although some surrounding activities are still planned, the number of participants is expected to be significantly reduced.

On-chain action: Community power in crisis

The above perspective is just a microcosm of unfortunate and lucky this disaster. On the other side of the border, the situation in Myanmar is even more severe, with the strongest earthquake in Myanmar since 1912. At least 2,000 people have died, and this number is increasing. In the face of disasters, what can the Web3 industry do?

On March 29, Binance founder Zhao Changpeng announced that he would donate 500 BNBs to Myanmar and Thailand each, and said that if there is no ready-made system, he would rely on Binance and its Thai branches to distribute the donations. Binance Charity and the Czech Republic jointly donated $1.5 million to directly support affected users.

The IOST Foundation said that "Web3 is not just code and assets - it is also related to people" and set up two transparent donation contracts, promising that "100% of the donations will be used directly for local disaster relief" and said that "IOST Foundation will provide equal matching donations."

According to Decrypt , several international humanitarian organizations have opened up channels for digital currency donation, including:

• Red Cross (accepts BTC, BCH, ETH and various stablecoins)
• Save the Children (accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC)
• British Red Cross (accepts over 70 cryptocurrencies and tokens)
• UNICEF (Accept Bitcoin and Ethereum)
• Doctors Without Borders (Accept donations through The Giving Block)

Donations are undoubtedly the most direct application of current blockchain technology. When infrastructure is severely damaged and traditional banking systems are temporarily paralyzed, cryptocurrencies show their unique advantages as emergency aid tools.

When we think about what blockchain can do for this world, perhaps the answer lies in real humanitarian applications. In addition to direct fund donations, can it be used as a tool to rebuild trust, connect resources and empower communities, a decentralized emergency communication system, a resource coordination platform that does not rely on traditional infrastructure, and a truly transparent disaster relief fund tracking mechanism.........