Winnipeg mom, daughter safe in Nepal after Mount Everest avalanche
CBC News | Posted: April 26, 2015 10:14 PM | Last Updated: April 27, 2015
Winnipeg Nepalese community raising funds to send home for disaster relief
A pair of Winnipeggers who were climbing Mount Everest are safe and members of the local Nepalese community are rallying in support of their home country after Nepal was rocked by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake Saturday.
The death toll has risen to more than 4,000 as aftershocks continued to ripple through the area Sunday during search and rescue efforts. Many are still unaccounted for.
Joan and Kelsey Griffith-Parker were on the mountain two days prior to when the earthquake caused an avalanche.
"I checked the news at 8 a.m. It wasn't until about three or four hours later that we got a call they were all right," said Lauren Griffith-Parker. "We were definitely really scared and praying a lot. We were trying to contact them."
Griffith-Parker said her mom and sister left for their trek on Mount Everest four weeks ago. This was Kelsey's first time doing the climb, while her mom Joan did it almost 30 years ago.
Griffith-Parker got both an email and a call this weekend from her sister and mother reassuring her they made their descent two days before the earthquake and are safe.
Winnipeg Nepalis unite
Many of the roughly 700 Nepali people living in Winnipeg have family and friends impacted by the earthquake. And on Sunday, they came together and started raising money to send back home as part of the disaster relief efforts.
Chitra Pradhan, who has family in Nepal, said Saturday he lost a call with his nephew Saturday morning during what sounded like a repeat tremor hours after the first quake. He said he's remaining hopeful.
"Hopefully this country will spring back, with the help of the world, with communication so good now," said Pradhan. "I have been watching Facebook messages and the whole word is sending messages to Nepal."
Winnipegger Mahesh Ghimire has family living right where the earthquake struck. Ghimire's glad they are safe, but he said he can't stop worrying.
"Loved ones are very scared," said Ghimire. "They are sleeping outside."
Ghimire said his 85-year-old dad and other family members are staying outdoors because they are afraid that another tremor could roll through the area and potentially leave them trapped in an already unstable building.
The Winnipeg group has already raised about $5,000. Tara Subedi believes any amount will help.
"Medical help, water, food, shelter, probably those are some of the things required immediately," said Subedi. "There are probably still people under the rubble, so you know, those kind of help you know to get people out of the rubbles"
The Nepali Cultural Society of Manitoba said so far, none of its members have lost anyone in Nepal.
Anyone interested in helping out can drop off donations at TD Canada Trust locations in Winnipeg.