For people that are familiar with Everest/ this area more broadly- are there villages/other small settlements in the mountains? It’s entirely possible that this avalanche could’ve near fully buried some small places 
Do not know about any villages, romani, but it sounds like the Everest base camp is completely wiped out:
Wow, just completely awful.
I was really hoping that wasn’t the case, BB.
Now,my H is telling me that no helicopter can fly higher than 21Kft so anyone beyond camp2 cannot be helicoptered out. The air is so thin up there that the helicopter blades don’t work.
As for settlements, he doesn’t think they will be affected by the avalanche as the only year-round village is Dingboche, about 14500ft. He stayed in the last village for lodging before base camp and it only consists of a few brick bldgs. It is around 17K ft. No one lives there year round as it is too high.
H said base camp is an area of rocks, you move a few boulders, find a piece of dirt and pitch your tent. So if they said the base camp is destroyed, it really means the tents are destroyed with all the supplies. Hopefully, not too many are injured. Sad about Fridenburg.
Google launches a people finder: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/nepal/11563157/Google-person-finder-tool-deployed-to-help-relatives-find-loved-ones-in-Nepal.html
I wonder how useful this will be in the immediate aftermath when families are most panicked. It sounds like power is largely out there.
I do hope it’s useful as things calm down a bit.
Good friends were were at Kathmandu airport when the quake hit. They said it was very frightening. They are now trying to sleep stretched over 3 chairs in a cold and badly damaged hotel. At least they are safe. This is tragic: http://news.yahoo.com/dan-fredinburg-google-exec-killed-mt-everest-avalanche-040015648.html
Glad your friends are okay, jym. And so tragic about Fredinburg (and the others who lost their lives).
In addition to the loss of lives, there apparently has bern much damage to key heritage sites:
Very sad. Such a loss.
Mr. B had been to Nepal many moons ago and was very sad to see the architectural wonders reduced to deadly pile of rubble, trapping humans inside. The rescuers don’t have access to much more than shovels and metal bars… Hope help can reach in time to save some of the people trapped in the rubble and at the base camp.
CNN just showed some footage of a helicopter landing at the base camp.
Waking up to tv photos of the damage and reports of aftershock. Prayers to the families.
DD was in Napal 2 months ago. Even though she is safe at home I still have knots in my stomach over it. So very sad for the country and people. Life is fragile. Prayers for everyone there.
Quite a big aftershock, (6.7) with more expected, tragically.
Peter Zuckerman, who wrote Buried in the Sky suggests supporting Global Giving.
http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/nepal-earthquake-relief-fund/
Or texting GIVE NEPAL to 80088 to donate $10 to Nepal Earthquake relief.
Only works on US phones.
My uncle hasn’t heard from all of his family yet. The epicenter wasn’t far from his parents’ village.
http://www.shelterboxusa.org/news_global.php?id=1348
This is my favorite disaster relief organization. They are waiting to hear where they need the shelter boxes. The boxes are already packed and staged and they are climate specific.
Check it out. It’s an awesome idea.
Your donations buy a box for the next disaster as the boxes needed for this disaster are already in place and staged.
Immediate help.
96blue, that’s terrible. I hope you get good news soon.
96, I am so sorry. Sending best wishes your way.
As in Haiti, most of the problems come from poor/corrupt building codes.
Friend’s D is spending the night in the US Embassy. Still no word on the other family.
@96blue, from what I heard on the BBC news this AM, the roads to villages near the epicenter are more or less impassable: not only rubble, but enormous cracks. Terrible, just terrible. Sounds like the international community could help by sending in a lot of helicopters, pronto.
I’ve read that the USA has pledged $1 million in aid. Doesn’t that sound a bit paltry?
Sending wishes for good news to those of you waiting to hear from family and friends.
At the moment, I’d guess stuff is needed more than money, though that will quickly change. I wonder why there doesn’t seem to be pre-positioned disaster relief supplies like work gloves, masks, crowbars and body bags able to be quickly brought into disaster areas?