Nepal Quake – Report from James (27 April, 2015)

I talked to James Luitel in Nepal yesterday, 27th April, and was thankful he and the children in his care were well. The huge 7.8 earthquake which struck Nepal on 25th April has caused over 4000 deaths counted so far, huge destruction of buildings and houses and displaced much of the population. Here is a record of James’ own account of the tragedy:

 

Nepal quake_Durbar Square
 

“I came out of room, there was a huge jolt and huge shaking, I couldn’t stand up, and was holding on to the door for 3 minutes. Susan (one of the children James cares for) was holding onto door. I injured my foot coming out of our first floor apartment in the four storey building we were in. The building didn’t collapse thankfully, but after we were outside we were afraid to go back in because of aftershocks.

Now it’s almost 40 hours later, we are outside and have a little water. We don’t want to go back in the house, but have to run inside sometimes to grab things. I am the only person with a tent which I bought 15 years ago. There are five of us staying in the tent, two of the children I look after, two neighbours and me. It’s raining as well and many people have no tent, they are out in the open. We have a little food but no shops are open. We are cooking over a wood fire in the empty lot where we are staying and I made a vegetable curry and rice.

Some people are still trapped, in remote places there is no equipment so it’s slow work to rescue people.

The big tower in the heart of Kathmandu collapsed and many people are in shock. There are hundreds in the street, in the rain in the middle of the road. Not a single government person has come here or given a tent or anything.

The highway to Nargokot is all cracked, there’s a 2 foot hole. In a 5 star hotel, a heritage hotel, the front wall is gone. Yesterday walked to the centre of the city, there’s huge damage. I was taking a picture and a wall started to fall down right in front of me. I had to run like mad to escape. You have to stand in the middle of the road to be safe.

After 24 hours there were still aftershocks. It feels like walking on a jelly, the ground is shaking all the time, like being on a jelly or on a boat.

Yesterday I went to two hospitals. There are volunteers helping in there. But everything, shops and all, is shut. But people are in shock, reality hasn’t hit yet.”
 

Nepal quake_camped out

 

Written by Chris – chris_ansell@gobeyondnow.net (Please write us and join our “Help Nepal” group)