Earthquake tragedy in Nepal

I received an SMS while out on a long Berg trip about the earthquake tragedy in Nepal. Immediately I was worried about several personal friends in Kathmandu, and even attempted to phone one of them from the Berg. My wife did not inform me of the tragedy until she had seen that the Facebook profiles of my two closest friends there where marked as "safe". People there had to register themselves, and where possible posts were made to their Facebook profiles to let the outside world know that they are OK.

Even when I lived in Nepal almost fifteen years ago, they were talking about "the big one" that was due, and they were trying to make Kathmandu earthquake-ready.

Today I received an email from one of the friends referred to above. He sent me pictures of the Langtang valley which we had visited together several years ago. This is one of the worst hit areas.

Just thought of you as I really enjoyed our time up there together. Langtang will never be the same. Out of the 500 Tibetans that live in Langtang village, 181 are confirmed missing. Many of the people that have been found in the Langtang valley have been evacuated to Kathmandu.

Before:


After:


My heart is sad for the Nepalese. Its a country which has faced many challenges and difficulties, and now this. May our thoughts and prayers, and support, be with them in this time.

The 2015 Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake),[7][8] which killed more than 7,000 people and injured more than twice as many, occurred at 11:56 NST on 25 April, with a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.8Mw[1] or 8.1Ms[2] and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of IX (Violent). Its epicenter was the village of Barpak, Gorkha district, and its hypocenter was at a depth of approximately 15 km (9.3 mi).[1]

It was the most powerful disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake.[9][10][11] Some casualties were also reported in the adjoining areas of India, China, and Bangladesh.[12]

The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, killing at least 19,[13] making it the deadliest day on the mountain in history.[14] It triggered another huge avalanche in Langtang valley, where 250 were reported missing.[15][16]

Hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless with entire villages flattened,[17][18][15] across many districts of the country. Centuries-old buildings were destroyed at UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley, including some at the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Patan Durbar Square and the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. Geophysicists and other experts had warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a deadly earthquake, particularly because of its geology, urbanization, and architecture.[19][20]

Continued aftershocks occurred throughout Nepal, with one shock reaching a magnitude of 6.7 on 26 April at 12:54:08 NST.[4] The country also had a continued risk of landslides.[21]

In the Langtang valley located in Langtang National Park around 250 people were reported missing after an avalanche hit the village of Ghodatabela[76] and the village of Langtang. The avalanche was estimated to have been two to three kilometres wide. Ghodatabela was an area popular on the Langtang trekking route.[77] The village of Langtang has been destroyed by the avalanche. Around 300 were estimated to have died in smaller settlements on the outskirts of Langtang that were buried during the earthquake, such as Chyamki, Thangsyap, and Mundu. Twelve locals and two foreigners were believed to have survived. Smaller landslides occurred in the Trishuli River Valley with reports of significant damage at Mailung, Simle, and Archale.[16][78][79][80] On 4 May it was announced that 52 bodies had been found in the Langtang area, of which seven were of foreigners.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Nepal_earthquake

A major earthquake has struck eastern Nepal, near Mount Everest, two weeks after more than 8,000 died in a devastating quake.
At least four people have been killed and an unknown number injured, according to aid agencies.
The latest earthquake hit near the town of Namche Bazaar, near Mount Everest.
The US Geological Survey said it had a magnitude of 7.3. An earthquake on 25 April, centred in western Nepal, had a magnitude of 7.8.
The latest tremor was also felt in northern India and Bangladesh.
In the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, which was badly damaged last month, people rushed out of buildings as the quake struck at 12:35 local time (07:50 GMT).

www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32701385

More people were killed and more houses collapsed when a 7.4 magnitude earthquake rattled Nepal at around 1 p.m. Tuesday.

At least five people, three in Kathmandu and two in Dolakha, have been killed when their houses collapsed. More houses have reportedly gone down in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Dolakha and Sindhupalchok district. The death toll is expected to rise much higher.

Around 200 people have been reportedly injured in different parts of the earthquake-affected districts.

According to Dhan Prasad Chaulagain of the Lalitpur District Post Office, his 55-year-old uncle Chitra Prasad Chaulagain and aunty, whose name has not been ascertained, were killed when their house went down in Bhimeswor municipality-5, Dolakha.

Ministry of Home Affairs has confirmed three deaths in Teku, Samakhusi and Matatirtha in Kathmandu. One of the three killed is an 11-year-old girl. She was crushed to death by a wall.

Several houses have collapsed in Naya Bajar and Gongabu areas of Kathmandu and Bhaktapur. More people are believed to be buried there. Rescuers are busy pulling out people alive.

www.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2015/05/12/another-earthquake-hits-nepal/

And this after the big one and several smaller after-shocks.....

Death toll from the second earthquake has reached 65 and is likely to still rise. 1926 people have sustained injuries and several more buildings have collapsed. Several aftershocks measuring above 4 on the Richter scale were experienced since yesterday, including a 4.2 tremor with its epicenter very close to Kathmandu at about 2am in their morning.

Both of my closest friends and their families are still safe and are getting stuck in with the relief operations. One of them was on a bus retrurning to Kathmandu after another trip to distribute food and tents to badly affected areas when the second quake hit, which resulted in a landslide across the road just 10m in front of the bus! Luckily nobody was hurt and the army helped clear the road that same day. Many people in Kathmandu and elsewhere are again sleeping out in tents in open spaces since the second quake hit for fear of more buildings collapsing should more quakes and tremors hit.

Vertical Endeavour expresses its ongoing sympathy and sadness for the people of Nepal in this very difficult time.

There are various organisations to donate money to should you wish to help in this way.

The landslides that are triggered by these earthquakes are horrifying. Nepal is a very mountainous country with countless roads and villages perched below steep slopes. As far as I can tell these two videos posted on Facebook are from yesterday's earthquake:

www.facebook.com/viratapun/videos/426002974238574/?fref=nf

www.facebook.com/sudip.ghimire.94/videos/667671813368866/?fref=nf

Barpak: the epicenter of the Gorkha Earthquake (25 April)

Barpak was a particularly beautiful village perched on a high-lying ridge in Gorkha district. It was mainly inhabited by the Gurung people. The village of Laprak, a few hours walk from Barpak was very similar. I once overnighted in Barpak in 1999 and stopped for lunch in Laprak. I was particularly impressed with both villages and I have never forgotten them. I am very saddened that Barpak is now 95% destroyed.

Barpak before the earthquake:






Barpak after the earthquake:













As in other areas, people are now living in tents and make-shift shelters:

Langtang: said to be the worst affected area

Though not at the epicenter, the worst devastation is said to be in the Langtang Valley, and this was due not only to the earthquake but to the resulting landslides and avalanches. As shown in the picture at the start of this thread, the village of Langtang has been totally destroyed, and the other villages further down the valley have also suffered severe damage, or have been almost fully wiped out.

There is video footage presented by the BBC in this link. Some of the footage towards the end is disturbing, as it shows some of the bodies (covered).
www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32585356

More footage and pictures in this report:
www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32595883

This is a worthwhile read:
nepalitimes.com/page/langtang-before-after-earthquake-nepal

Some horrific detail:

Shock waves preceding the avalanche of thousands of tons of ice and rock falling 3km straight down had blown away dozens of houses with people in them. Such was the force of the blast that it flattened a forest on the other side of the Valley.

Some of the victims had been blown right across to the opposite mountainside, the shock waves having torn the flesh away leaving only skeletal remains.

Those details and images are truly horrific.

For me the interview with the man in the first video is particularly heart-wrenching.
"We've lost everything" he says.
Just consider that statement for a minute in the context of your life...