Cape Town - The Nepali population on Tuesday morning experienced its second major earthquake in less than three weeks, days after the return of South African disaster relief organisation Gift of the Givers.
“Of all natural calamities nothing is more harrowing and destructive than a major earthquake. To go through the experience once is a lifetime but to go through it twice is an eternity,” said Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of the Gift of the Givers.
On Tuesday, Nepal was hit by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake near Mount Everest, roughly 80 kilometres from the capital city of Kathmandu. This follows Nepal’s worst earthquake of 7.8 on April 25 2015.
The Gift of the Givers team - which included search and rescue, medical staff, and media - were based in Kathmandu during their mission in Nepal.
One of the doctors travelling with the Gift of the Givers who is a Nepali national working in South Africa, Dr Ang Tshering Sherpa, was born in a village near the epicentre of the second quake, Namche Bazaar.
The night before the Gift of the Givers made their way back to South Africa, Sherpa went back to Namche Bazaar to visit his family.
The death toll from the 7.8 quake is roughly 8,000 but was expected to increase with the discovery of more bodies in the almost inaccessible epicentre.
“The more superficial the earthquake the greater the destruction,” said Sooliman, “Add to that poorly-constructed houses and you have a recipe for a major catastrophe”.
“Eight thousand dead thus far from the first event - it’s probably substantially higher as many of the areas are virtually totally inaccessible -,17 000 injured, thousands homeless, and millions living in fear with each oncoming aftershock,” Sooliman said.
Sooliman called on South Africans to contribute to Nepal to ease the effects of the disaster and the oncoming monsoon rains. “In the wake of this second large earthquake our greatest contribution as South Africans to the people in Nepal will be cash to purchase food, tents, and medical supplies to ensure some kind of physical support for thousands who will be homeless through destroyed homes or through fear of aftershocks.”
Those able to assist could contact 0800 786 911 for further details.
ANA