A FORMER Stourbridge student has spoken of the terrifying moment he felt the impact of the Ecuador earthquake while working as a volunteer in the country.

Alexander Hill is working in school on a volunteering programme in Cuenca and felt the tremors of Saturday’s devastating 7.8 quake which struck the north west coast of Ecuador – killing more than 272 people and injuring more than 2,500.

The 19-year-old from Wolverley, who studied at King Edward VI College in Stourbridge, was luckily hundreds of miles away from the epicentre of the massive quake - the most powerful to hit the country in decades – but he said its impact could still be felt in Cuenca where he working with Lattitude Global Volunteering.

He said: “Cuenca felt the earthquake at around 7pm local time. I originally thought I was ill or about to faint as the kitchen table appeared to be moving towards and then away from me, I looked up and realised the whole house was moving.

“It felt like standing on a boat in waves, feeling more like a wave motion than a shake. The lights hanging from the ceiling and the lamps were swaying side to side.

“I could hear crashes from outside, empty plant pots falling off the wall I think. Luckily it wasn't strong enough here to do serious damage but it's still very unnerving to feel the earth moving beneath your feet.

“The quake lasted around 30 seconds, only long enough to realise what was happening. It was not as powerful as on the coast and Cuenca has very little damage, but the fact that it was felt here, in the southern Andes Mountains, is incredible seeing as the epicentre was on the northern coast.

“Ecuador is on standstill at the moment and people are shocked and upset as many people here have relatives and friends in the worst affected coastal areas.”