A DREAM holiday to Turkey turned into a terrifying nightmare for a Preston teacher who was caught up in one of the world's most horrific natural disasters.

Ribbleton Hall High School teacher Rick Longton is lucky to be alive after surviving the earthquake, which killed up to 40,000 Turkish residents and holidaymakers.

Mr Longton, of Masonwood, Fulwood, was in the penultimate day of a four-week tour of the Middle East country when Turkey was hit by the earthquake.

The 45-second quake stuck at 3.02am, as he rested in an Istanbul hotel on Tuesday, August 17.

The Geography teacher said: "It was probably the most frightening experience of my life. I thought the ceiling of the hotel was going to cave in because it rocked from the basement.

"There was a lot of rumbling and crashing and I could hear windows smashing. It was like something was coming up through the floor.

"I crouched down to protect myself and watched the tiles falling off the shower room.

"When it was over the electric was cut off and the lights went out. I tried to get out of the room but the door was stuck."

He continued: "I was on the third floor and I was scared that the floor above would collapse.

"I could hear shouts and screams but it all went quiet afterwards. Everyone was just trying to get out.

"I managed to open the door and met up with people from the floor above. We held hands and fumbled out of the building.

"The hotel staff didn't know what to do but some American holidaymakers and myself moved people away from the building because of the aftershocks.

"Ironically, I now have a real-life experience of earth plate movements to teach the children, although I wouldn't like to live through the experience again."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.