The reverberations of the earthquake in Nepal are being felt halfway across the world as friends and family in Canada anxiously wait to hear from loved ones back home.
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck just before noon Saturday, near the country’s capital, Kathmandu, and has left at least 13,394 people dead. Dozens of smaller aftershocks continued to pepper the region hours after the initial tremor.
According to Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, at least 388 Canadians were in the country at the time.
As news of the disaster unfolds, Rabi Chitrakar has been nervously sitting in front of the TV and checking online for updates in his Halifax home.
Chitrakar said that when he first heard about the massive quake he frantically tried to make contact with friends and family.
"Finally I got a hold of my sister and mother, and I heard that they were fine, but I struggled quite a bit to get a hold of my other friends," Chitrakar told CTV Atlantic.
Paresh Lacoul also managed to track down his parents, who are currently safe. But, Lacoul says they are frightened by the potential effects of aftershocks, which have been rippling across parts of the country.
"Now there are … tremors, which have been felt,” Lacoul said. “So that is actually building up the fears in my parents.”
Families and friends of loved ones travelling in the region also tried desperately to get in touch with them.
After learning about the disaster on Saturday, Jaswinder Mann of Edmonton scrambled to get in touch with the U.S. company that is overseeing his son's trip to Everest.
The quake triggered an avalanche that swept across parts of the mountain, killing at least 10 climbers.
Mann says eventually the group replied with a text saying his son was safe. It wasn't until five hours later that he finally got to speak to his son.
"(We) did not talk much because I was worried that his phone may go down, (but) I was happy that he said, 'Dad … I am good, my health is good, I have not been injured (and) we are safe here,’" Mann told CTV Edmonton.
While some worried families have been able to get updates through social media, communication has proven to be difficult, as power and phone lines have been damaged in numerous areas.
Other families haven't yet been able to track down loved ones.
The family of Edmonton native Jin Hyung Park, says he was in Kathmandu on Friday, but they have yet to hear from him since the disaster.
His sister Sora Park told CTV Edmonton that he is an experienced traveller who keeps in touch frequently. Park said she is trying to keep positive despite the lack of news.
"I just have to be hopeful … it hasn't been 24 hours since the earthquake, so we're just hoping he'll contact us eventually," Park said.
Appeals for aid
As relief efforts get underway, Canadians of Nepalese descent are doing their part to help those who have been affected by the disaster.
In Montreal, Muga Rajbhandari, president of the Association of Nepalese in Quebec, is hoping that the local community can help raise $10,000 for relief funds. They are accepting donations on organization's website.
He worries that many people may still be trapped in the rubble, and that medical services in the country will be exhausted.
Rajbhandari says that 100 per cent of donations will be sent to Nepal.
Kali Pokhrel, Nepal's ambassador to Canada, told CTV Toronto that it has been a "very tragic day for Nepal."
He is holding emergency meetings in Toronto to come up with the best way to provide aid.
"The government of Nepal has requested all friendly countries to support Nepal in whatever way they can in humanitarian support," Pokhrel said.
"Ultimately we need funds to buy tents, to by medicine, to buy blankets, to by provisions (and) to rebuild," added Kunjar Sharman, consul general of Nepal.
Friends and relatives who are concerned about Canadian citizens know to be in areas affected by the earthquake should contact Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada’s 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre by calling 1-800-387-3124, 613-996-8885 or by sending an email to sos@international.gc.ca
With reports from CTV Atlantic, Montreal and Toronto
