Is anyone else following this? Over 1,400 confirmed dead already.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/25/asia/nepal-earthquake-7-5-magnitude/index.html
As someone who does not live in earthquake territory, I can’t even imagine the terror that they are going through.
Hadn’t seen that, Romani; thanks for posting. Just terrible.
Now that it’s night, they’re facing the next terror: it’s cold and the electricity is out. Just heartbreaking.
Have been watching cnn all morning. Terrible tragedy! The death toll will rise much higher than the latest number of 1500, I am afraid. There are tens of thousands of tourists in the area and some mountaineer groups, too. There is no electricity, there is no water, and the whatever stores are boarded up.
Meanwhile, there is a volcano spewing ash in Peru.
The news coming out of there is tragic!
I heard something late last night on CNN. Having survived 2 major quakes here, the last one the Northridge which was in the mid 6s (and we lived in the valley right on the fault lines)…a 7.9 is unthinkable. Our children were young then…to give a bit of insight how rough this must have been: I ran, mid quake, to my kids’ rooms…the quake was so strong that my knees hit my chest with every step. I steadied my run while holding onto the walss which were shaking as well.
I pray for these people.
For the Northridge earthquake, I was outside my sisters hosing, parking in the garden and I didn’t quite feel the effect.
The earthquake triggered an avalanche in the Himaliyas destroying camps. The climbimg season was just starting. I fear the worst.
My H was at Everest base camp couple years ago and he took many pictures of the tents, people there. I shudder at the thought of chaotic desperate conditions there now.
I visited Kathmandu in the late 70’s and all the buildings were unreinforced masonry. So easy to just topple.
Praying for everyone.
Any images yet of Pokhara (second largest city in Nepal) or Bharatpur (fifth, courtesy of Wikipedia)? If Kathmandu got hit that hard, and Everest had slides, I fear there will be many more places with significant damage.
A major tragedy. Oxfam America already has a donation page up, and teams on the ground. I’m sure others will as well, but it is hard to know which ones have the local infrastructure to provide near-term assistance.
I have friends whose D is in Kathmandu, but they have heard from her and she is fine. I have a HS classmate who lives there also. No word yet, AFAIK.
In addition to volcanic ash in Peru, there has been active volcano eruptions in Chile, one volcano currently and one a few weeks ago.
Both my kids are currently overseas separately in major earthquake zones so a little anxiety here about the general increase in seismic activity lately…
My heart goes out to those in Nepal.
Thank God that your friend’s daughter is safe, Consolation. That’s pretty amazing that she was able to get in touch so soon. Did they hear from her before or after they heard the news about the earthquake? Does she have safe shelter?
My brother took my daughter there at Christmas. Since then, the air flight they were on ran off the runway (I don’t think anyone was hurt), a rhino charged the runway and one person was killed, and now this. It’s scary.
This is terrible news. 
This is horrible. That is an extremely powerful earthquake. Many structures weren’t likely able to withstand.
this is like the 8.0 Mexico earthquake in 1985…so many deaths. Of course the Indonesian one with the tsunami in 2004 was even worse.
I’d heard that avalanches on Everest might well have had fatal results, and it looks as though those fears have been realized:
This is prime time for climbing Everest. My husband was there at this time couple years ago. He said he saw 30-40 different expeditions at the base camp all waiting for good weather for the ascent. Since the Sherpa’s strike last year, there must be more people there this year. Along the routes up to Everest, there are 4-6 camps where climbers stay a few days to acclimate to the high altitudes. If the avalanche destroys some of the routes (as it has been reported) then the climbers are stranded unless helicopter rescues are successful. Not good.