YouTube at the Epicenter of Another Crisis

The devastating earthquake in China today is just the latest crisis to showcase YouTube’s role as a primary source of firsthand accounts of breaking news. Last year, the video-sharing site gave us glimpses of the wildfires burning in southern California and of pro-democracy demonstrations in Myanmar. Now a video shot by a student shows us what it was like during China’s earthquake.

Here’s a translation of what’s being said by the person filming the action (thank you, Joey):

“Don’t worry! Don’t worry!
[guy under the table says they should leave]
Don’t leave yet.
We’re OK, we’re on the sixth floor. Just stay calm.
[gives the date in the lunar calendar] We are at the Chengdu [name of the school] University.
There has been an earthquake and our building is still shaking.
This is for real.
We better get out of here.”