Residents cry as they walk past damaged houses to safer areas, after a 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal, in Gyirong county of Xigaze Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, April 25, 2015. Rescuers dug with their bare hands and bodies piled up in Nepal on Sunday after an earthquake devastated the heavily crowded Kathmandu valley, killing at least 1,900*, and triggered a deadly avalanche on Mount Everest. In Tibet, the death toll climbed to 17, according to a tweet from China’s state news agency, Xinhua. Picture taken April 25, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer
Good Afternoon
*As of the posting of this thread the death toll is at over 2400.
Toll Mounts as Nepal Searches for Quake Survivors | Al Jazeera America
More than 2,400 people confirmed dead in 7.8-magnitude earthquake that has devastated the Himalayan nation
I am going to give you links on this post updating you on the Nepal Earthquake, I will do a later post with other stories because I think the efforts in Nepal deserve our singular attention.
Starting with relief programs:
How to Help the Relief Effort in Nepal – NYTimes.com
In the aftermath of the earthquake, aid workers were already on the ground on Saturday providing much-needed relief to the survivors.
Here is a list of some of the groups soliciting donations to support their efforts in Nepal:
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international coalition of charities dedicated to fighting poverty. Aid workers from the group are on the ground, preparing to hand out food and water. @Oxfam on Twitter.
World Vision
“We are initiating a response to meet basic, urgent needs with temporary shelter, food, water, emergency health interventions, and other vital aid.”
@WorldVision on Twitter.
Red Cross
Volunteers from the Nepal arm of the Red Cross are helping in the search for survivors. @ICRC on Twitter.
United Nations World Food Programme
The United Nations agency is providing food and other aid to survivors.
@WFP on Twitter.
Samaritan’s Purse
Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian organization providing food, water, shelter, medicine, and other assistance to earthquake survivors. @SamaritansPurse on Twitter.
CARE
CARE is asking for donations for critical relief. The group said its humanitarian workers were currently on the ground assessing the situation in Nepal and determining the most immediate needs. @CARE on Twitter.
Save the Children
Donations to Save the Children, an organization with extensive reach in Nepal, will go toward efforts to provide protection for children and relief to their families.
@SC_Nepal on Twitter.
HuffPo has an article here: Aid Agencies Rally To Help Victims Of Nepal’s Earthquake
From The Independent: Nepal earthquake: How you can help victims of the Kathmandu disaster – World – News – The Independent
And a suggestion from a reader reelcarina: Sad Coincidence: Tragedy in Nepal on Richter Scale Day | stepabout
Accordingly, Nepal’s government has declared a state of emergency, asking the international community for help. We ARE the international community! So how can we help? Of course, I can’t just sit here on my sunny balcony in the ‘happiest country in the world’ (Switzerland was recently found to be that by UNO) and simply do nothing. However, I can’t drive out to the airport, catch the next plane to Kathmandu and help the population there myself. So, the possibility that remains is donating. I’m a student, so I don’t really have many financial means, but to those affected people in Nepal, even 40 or 50 Swiss Francs will be of great help! If you, dear readers, donate as well, it’s gonna be even better! As for today, my blog’s got 43 followers (Thank you so much for that, by the way!). If every one of you donates 25 Francs/Euros or whatever other currency, we’ll have contributed over 1000 Euros already! Now imagine, if other bloggers join in, our lovely internet community will unravel its full strength and actually make a difference in Nepal :-)
Pooling money together does add up…
Now here are some links to catch you up:
*This link gives some numbers: Foreign Governments Tally Citizens in Nepal
April 26, 2015 10:16 AM
The 7.9 magnitude quake struck at midday at a busy time of year for the tourism-reliant country’s trekking and climbing season, with an estimated 300,000 foreign tourists in the country, several hundred of those on Mount Everest.
Countries are listed in alphabetical order.
Austria: Foreign ministry says around 250 Austrians in Nepal, no reports so far on any casualties.
Bangladesh: Foreign ministry says no nationals in Nepal have been reported injured or killed. But four reported killed inside Bangladesh.
Britain: No details released yet.
Belgium: Foreign ministry says not aware of any victims.
China: Xinhua news agency, quoting the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, reports four people confirmed dead and 10 seriously injured.
France: Foreign ministry says around 500 French nationals have been located and are safe, and has no information on any victims.
Germany: No details released yet.
India: Nearly 800 Indians have been evacuated from Nepal with more on the way home, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. No Indian casualties yet reported in Nepal, but 49 reported killed in India.
Indonesia: Foreign ministry says has 34 nationals in Nepal. Eighteen are living in Nepal and 16 are visiting. Says still trying to contact 18 of those nationals.
Israel: Foreign ministry says it estimates around 600 Israelis are in Nepal, and has secured contact with 400, most of them sheltering at the embassy in Kathmandu. These include 25 couples in Nepal to bring home babies born to surrogates.
Italy: No details released yet.
Japan: Foreign ministry says has no reports of Japanese killed or injured in the quake, but is still checking whereabouts of citizens. Some 1,100 Japanese living in Nepal are registered with the embassy, but no information on number of nationals travelling through.
Latvia: Local news agencies report around 41 people from Latvia in Nepal at the moment. Four are missing.
Lithuania: Foreign ministry says 25 Lithuanian nationals registered in Nepal are safe, but does not know yet of any unregistered travellers.
Malaysia: Foreign ministry says all citizens in Nepal are accounted for and safe. A team of Malaysian Everest climbers are safe at base camp.
Philippines: Two Filipino climbers are reported safe.
Poland: No news on any Poles affected.
Romania: Nineteen Romanians in Nepal, including mountaineer Alex Gavan and three others, all reported to be safe.
Russia: Tass news agency, citing emergencies ministry, says no casualties among Russians.
Sweden: Foreign ministry is aware of around 40 Swedes in Nepal but has no information about dead, hurt or missing nationals.
South Korea: Foreign ministry says three nationals injured in the earthquake. It estimates 650 residents and as many as 1,000 travelers were in Nepal at the time.
Nepal hospitals overflowing, rural towns cut off, aid groups say – The Times of India
HONG KONG: Aid groups and governments worldwide intensified efforts Sunday to help earthquake-hit Nepal, but blocked roads, downed power lines and overcrowded hospitals posed formidable challenges in an already poor country.
As the death toll in the Himalayan nation surpassed 2,300, the US together with European and Asian nations sent emergency crews to reinforce those scrambling to find survivors in the devastated capital Kathmandu and in cut-off rural areas.
“Tragically, more bodies are being pulled from collapsed buildings every hour,” the Australian Red Cross said in a statement.
“Communication is down in many areas. Widespread destruction, rubble and landslides are preventing access to provide aid in many villages.”
6.6 million people affected in Nepal quake: UN – bdnews24.com
Magnitude 6.7 quake aftershock hits Nepal and India | eNCA
Extent of the Damage From the Nepal Earthquake – NYTimes.com
The earthquake’s epicenter was not far from the capital, Katmandu. The United States Geological Survey had counted 12 aftershocks by midafternoon, one of which measured at a magnitude of 6.6. Deaths were reported as far away as northern India and on Mount Everest. | Related Article »
The Guardian has excellent live updates and coverage:
Nepal earthquake: rescue continues as death toll exceeds 2,000 – live updates | World news | The Guardian
Nepal earthquake: more than 200 Australians confirmed safe | World news | The Guardian
Nepal earthquake: Rescue effort intensifies – BBC News
US, Canada, Russia to assist in rescue | Top Stories
KATHMANDU, APR 26 –
United States Secretary John Kerry has issued a press statement on Saturday on behalf of the US government to express condolences to all of those affected by the earthquake in Nepal, including the families of those who died in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
Kerry, in his statement, said that they are working closely with the government of Nepal to provide assistance and support at this time of crisis.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Bodde has issued a disaster declaration in order to immediately release an initial $1 million for humanitarian assistance.
USAID is preparing to deploy a Disaster Assistance Response Team and is activating an Urban Search and Rescue Team to accompany disaster experts and assist with assessments of the situation.
Likewise, Russia and China are also sending teams to assist in the rescue operation. Chinese team is arriving with six specially-trained dogs and head to Gorkha district with medicines and food to carry out the rescue operation.
Nepal Earthquake – The Numbers – WSJ
The massive earthquake that shook Nepal on Saturday has so far claimed the lives of at least 1,900 people.
The quake, which struck shortly before noon, local time, spread devastation across a broad swath of territory, severely damaging parts of the capital’s historic center, flattening remote villages and triggering a deadly avalanche on Mount Everest.
Here’s a look at the earthquake by the numbers.
Nepal’s Landmarks, Before and After the Earthquake – NYTimes.com
Dharahara Tower
This nine-story structure was built in 1832 on orders from the queen. It was made of bricks about a foot and a half thick, and had recently been reopened to the public. Sightseers could ascend a narrow spiral staircase to a viewing platform around 200 feet above the city.
July 15, 2013
Bal Krishna Thapa Chhetri
April 25, 2015
Narendra Shrestha/European Pressphoto Agency
More pictures at that link.
Nepal Earthquake: Incredible Pictures From Everest Base Camp – India Real Time – WSJ
Nepal earthquake in pictures: Images show devastating effects of quake that tore a country apart – Asia – World – The Independent
nepal earthquake – Google Search you can see more pictures at that link as well….
Some reports out of Everest:
Mount Everest: New avalanches from aftershocks in Nepal – CNN.com
Nepal earthquake: Everest survivors describe ordeal – BBC News
Climbers above Everest base camp all safe | Reuters
217 missing in Everest | National- ekantipur.com
Video of the Everest avalanche are hitting Youtube but the ones I found are the same as some posted from 2009:
▶ Massive Mount Everest Avalanche Caught on Camera – YouTube
Posted Apr 25th….
Published on Apr 25, 2015
Nepal Earthquake Triggers Everest Avalanche, 18 Killed at Base Camp
At least 13 people were killed on Everest on Saturday as a massive avalanche – triggered by an earthquake near the Nepalese capital Kathmandu – swept through base camp.
The avalanche trapped other climbers higher on the mountain as those in base camp ran for their lives to escape falling ice and rock.
Videos from Everest south-side base camp showed flattened tents and blocks of rock scattered around a site dusted deep in snow. The avalanche appeared to have swept through the mid section of the strung-out base camp.
This is the same video as this: ▶ 5/3/09 – Mt. Everest Avalanche caught on tape – YouTube
Uploaded on May 6, 2009
In a series of Skype video chats, Miles O’Brien has been talking with Astronaut Scott Parazynski, who is at Mt. Everest prepping for a summit bid. While at Everest Base Camp, Scott and his partner Keith Cowing captured an avalanche on tape.
This next link is interesting, about how poverty will affect the aid relief.
Devastating Earthquake in Nepal: Humanitarian Relief and Tackling Poverty | Winnie Byanyima
Yesterday a terrible earthquake shook Nepal near the capital, Katmandu. Oxfam teams are on ground in Nepal with more staff and relief supplies flying in. I’d like to share this post which was shared with us in response, by Shaheen Chughtai, Oxfam’s Deputy Head of Humanitarian Policy and Campaigns.
Kathmandu was ever a disaster-in-waiting. The densely populated capital of one of the world’s poorest countries clings to the slopes of the seismically unstable Himalayas. The city was near-leveled and 8,500 killed in its last great earthquake 81 years before. It had history. On Saturday, the long-feared calamity struck.
And these articles explains why the earthquake happened:
Ancient Collision Made Nepal Earthquake Inevitable – NYTimes.com
More than 25 million years ago, India, once a separate island on a quickly sliding piece of the Earth’s crust, crashed into Asia. The two land masses are still colliding, pushed together at a speed of 1.5 to 2 inches a year. The forces have pushed up the highest mountains in the world, in the Himalayas, and have set off devastating earthquakes.
Experts had warned of the danger to the people of Katmandu for decades. The death toll in Nepal on Saturday was practically inevitable given the tectonics, the local geology that made the shaking worse and the lax construction of buildings that could not withstand the shaking.
Nepal earthquake: The history and why quakes happen in the Himalayas – Asia – World – The Independent
Nepal quake ‘followed historic pattern’ – BBC News
What caused the Nepal earthquake? – Al Jazeera English
Video at the link.
(Well, that sucks. The video will not work in the US, but it may work in other countries. )
I will update this post with links in the comments below.
The other Sunday thread will be up later this evening.