Earthquake tragedy in Nepal

Just saw on Facebook that there has just been yet another quake with Kathmandu being the epicenter, measuring 4.7.

A detailed personal account by a survivor of the Langtang avalanche, with lots of pics:
www.colinhaley.com/earthquake-in-the-langtang-valley/

A positive article on the resilience of the Nepali people (I can vouch for that!):
nepalitimes.com/article/nation/shaken-but-strong-nepal-earthquake,2252#.VVoW8PUw4Vg

intrepid wrote: Just saw on Facebook that there has just been yet another quake with Kathmandu being the epicenter, measuring 4.7.

Facebook update from a friend in Kathmandu - there was yet ANOTHER earthquake after the one mentioned above.

This is the Nepal that I admire. Plans and ambitions are in place to rebuild Barpak (which was at the epicenter of the first earthquake).

Nearly all of Barpak’s 1,400 homes were destroyed in the quake, six of the seven schools collapsed. The VDC office, a health post, the tourism centre were all leveled. A 50 kilowatt micro-hydro plant and a telecommunication tower were also damaged.

Nothing much remains of this picturesque and prosperous hilltop town situated at 1,900m and commanding a sweeping view of mountains on the northern horizon. Gorkha’s ‘model village’ is now just an example of what being on top of the epicentre of a 7.8 quake can do to a settlement.

The architect of Barpak’s past, and of its future, is Bir Bahadur Ghale, the visionary who has channeled the energy and international exposure of a town made up mostly of families of Gurkha soldiers in the British and Indian Armies into development over the past 30 years.

“We have all learnt important lessons from this disaster,” he said, surveying the ruins of what used to be his hometown. “The goal is to make an even better Barpak and not repeat the blunders of our ancestors.”

Ghale is now working with the Help Barpak team, a group of ex-Gurkha servicemen and entrepreneurs to steer reconstruction with earthquake resistant houses and schools that also reflecting the village’s heritage. The quake also underlined the importance of open spaces, since ten people were killed in fires in the densely-packed town with narrow cobblestone alleys.

nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/Between-the-lines/epicentre-of-reconstruction-barpak-after-earthquake,493

Current statistics

No. of quakes and aftershocks in Nepal since the main April 25th earthquake: 230
Deathtoll: 8400+ in Nepal; 161 in India, China and Bangladesh combined
No. of households in Nepal heavily damaged or completely destroyed: 751 000
Damage to schools: 334 000 students have had their classrooms destroyed, and an additional 137 000 have majorly damaged classrooms

Operation Mobilisation in Nepal is involved in food and water distribution, visiting local hospitals, and providing materials for basic shelters for those displaced. They have also been partnering with trained medical teams who are able to trek to remote villages and provide medical care to those unable to travel. Through local church partnerships, OM Nepal has also been able to minister to many other villages and communities by food distributions.

OM Nepal has spent the last 7 years building friendships with people in the communities in the Langtang Valley, many of whom are now dead. They will continue to work with what is left of these communities and will be be strategically involved in assisting with the rebuilding of the houses and villages. Some of these people have been temporarily evacuated to Kathmandu, where OM is offering Critical Incident Stress Debrief (CISD) to them. They are also doing this with their kids who are in schools in Kathmandu temporarily. From what I have heard, a safe location has been identified in the Langtang Valley where some sort of temporary, or even permanent village will be built, to house all of the displaced people in that area.

For more info, see their website: www.omnepal.org

Consider donating to OM Nepal, it is a good organisation. I have several personal friends that work for them, as did I many years ago.
www.om.org/en/contact

Those statistics are horrific.
Despite the various photos and videos, I find it quite difficult to imagine devastation on that kind of scale.

It is encouraging to see that something is being done and I hope that they get the donations needed.

Especially since Namche was close to the epicenter of the second earthquake!

Managed to find the following from the internet:
After 25 April earthquake 15 houses were damaged. After the 12 May earthquake 83 out of 85 houses were said to be "75% damaged".
www.mountainguides.com/photos/everest-south/phortse-eq-facebook_phunuru.jpg

I am not 100% if the above refers to Phortse or Namche Bazaar. I will try and get a confirmation of the accuracy of these figures, but it sounds horrific! Other villages in the area like Phortse, Kunde, Khumjung etc are also said to have suffered significant damage after the second quake. I have a friend currently on a relief operation in the lower foothills of that region. I will see if I can get an update from him based on what he hears from locals.