DEVASTATING EARTHEQUAKE, 25TH APRIL 2015
Following the concerns shown by all of you about the
devastating earthquake that took place in middle parts of
Nepal, this brief report has been prepared to get you
acquainted with current situation in Nepal and to thank you all
for all the concerns that you have about us and also for the
prayers you did for our safety and well being.
Before writing anything about the deadly earthquake, first let
us inform you that the school is safe. Only the boundaries walls
on two sides have been collapsed blocking the entry to the
school building. No big damage or whatsoever has been done
to school by such terrible earthquake. Thank God for the same.
The school was supposed to reopen after the final term break
on the 27th April Monday but already on the 25th April Saturday
at about 11.55 am the terrible earthquake having 7.6 rectare
magnitudes took place rendering millions of people homeless
and many orphans and widows and widowers. Kathmandu,
Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Sindhupalchok, Kavrepalanchok, Lamjumg
and Gorkha among others are the districts that were hit badly
by the earthquake. Making the things bad to worse, after shock
of 6.8 reactare magnitudes hit Nepal again on Sunday. Since
then, we have been experiencing tremors of 5 rectare
magnitudes on regular basis. We had more than 100 tremors of
less than 6 rectare magnitudes until Wednesday. While
preparing this report, a small tremor of may be 4 rectare
magnitudes hit the Kathmandu city as the window panes of the
room where we are writing this report are trembling suggesting
us to write this report quickly and go to safe place.
All the teachers and staff of TWS are safe and fine. The
earthquake has left us all devastated. Our confidence level has
been badly shaken. We all are living with real palpable fear. It
may take some more time to recover from the shock we went
through during that dreadful moment.
As the school was having term break many of our students
might have gone to their villages or might have been getting
ready to come to Kathmandu when the tremor happened. We
fear some of them might have the victims of the earthquake.
We are effortful to know their whereabouts and situation
through phones although telephone connection has been
disrupted and difficult. Communication has been disrupted all
over Nepal in one way or the other. The roads are blocked and
there is high risk of landslides in the quake affected areas.
We tried to contact many of our parents but their mobile
phones were switched off which apparently means the
batteries have gone down and they found no other means to
charge as the electricity has also been cut off. Almost all the
parents whom we managed to contact said that their houses
have been cracked and they are staying in temporary shelters.
We called more than hundred parents and could contact with
only 9 parents who said that they are safe physically and living
with difficulties. They do not know how long they have to do so.
Parents of Phunchok Tshiring Sherpa, a student of Nursery
informed us that their house has been collapsed due to the
quake very badly leaving them homeless. They are also staying
in temporary shelter.
Shirish Pahari, Caretaker of TWS was in Kathmandu when his
house was destroyed by the quake in his village in
Kavrepalanchok district. His mother and father escaped
casualty only because they were working in their kitchen
garden but his sister-in-law who was sick was caught under the
rubbles. It took a long time to rescue her. Her hand is broken
and leg sprained and wounded badly on her head. She was
rushed to hospital in Banepa (Sheer Memorial Hospital) where
she is undergoing treatment and is reported to be out of
danger.
We definitely will be trying to find out the situations of our
students and parents. Once the situation comes to normalcy we
may be able to do that and accordingly a report about the same
will be sent to you.
More than 80% of the houses in Kathmandu have been
damaged and cracked by the earthquake. It is the same in all
the villages hit by the quake. The houses in the villages are
mostly made up of clay and brick, thus are destroyed.
The two villages in Gorkha and Sindhupalchok districts having
about two hundreds households are said to have been vanished
by the quake. Now only the remains are seen there.
Because of the narrow streets in Kathmandu, rescue team
could not take bulldozer, cranes and excavator to affected
areas. As a result of which many dead bodies buried by the
debris and wreckages of the destroyed houses could not be
taken out as yet. The case is similar in many villages. Helicopter
could not land in many villages preventing rescue works. No
one can really say how many more dead bodies are buried. The
rescue teams from as many as 30 countries have been working
at war foot but because of rainy weather and difficult
geography their works have been very tough. On the other
hand, after shock of less magnitudes are still coming. Due to
which normalcy is yet to be restored even if people are trying.
Everywhere temporary shelters have been erected with tents
and plastics which have been their only source to survive. In
many places tents have not been enough to make temporary
shelter leaving the people to pass their under the sky. The
nature has been unkind this time to add salt to injury by
pouring untimely rain.
Due to decaying of not cremated dead bodies in Kathamandu
and dead bodies and dead livestock in the villages, it is feared
that epidemic can break out soon. Having realized this
situation, more than 4 hundred thousands have quit
Kathmandu and the trend is on the rise.
Kathmandu at present
The entire sparkling Kathmandu city now looks likes cremation
area. Shops remain closed as of now ignoring the government’s
order to open. People find it difficult to buy essential
commodities to survive. On the other hands, some people are
black marketing such commodities. Some thieves have made
this situation an opportunity to break into houses and steal.
Public transportation has come to halt. Some private transport
entrepreneurs also are taking advantages of this situation.
All the government and private hospitals are crowded with the
injured persons. Some hospitals are treating injured people
outside their premises under the open sky. Many cultural
heritages in Kathmandu have been demolished by the cruel
quake. Bhimsen Tower that used to stand nearby General Post
Office has become a history. It is said that there were more
than 150 people inside the tower and as many were waiting
their turn outside the tower, when the tower collapsed killing
more than 200 people. Many dead bodies are yet to be taken
out. The whole area has started to stink making the rescue
workers more difficult to work.
Similarly many ancient temples in and around the Kathmandu
city have been destroyed. Some has commented rightly that
Kathmandu is no more a historical city. A big temple in Patan
Durbar Square was destroyed to heap of debris. Only yesterday
two dead bodies could be taken out and it is feared many
bodies could still be there.
We will update you with more news and photos when things
are back to normal. It may take a few more days.
Hem Rai and Rajen Syangden, TWS,KTM