Nepali students at Mississippi University for Women gathered at university president Jim Borsig’s house on Saturday to wait together for news of family and friends from Nepal, where a 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated the small country Saturday.
“We are mostly just trying to get contact with family right now,” senior Sandeep Manandhar, one of the students gathered at Borsig’s house, said.
The powerful earthquake devastated Nepal, killing more than 1,180 people, collapsing modern houses and ancient temples and triggering a landslide on Mount Everest. Officials warned the death toll would rise as more reports came in from far-flung areas.
There are more than 30 students from Nepal at MUW, including junior Sumitra Karki, president of the university’s International Student Association. She and around 15 others gathered at Borsig’s house at 3 p.m., where they sat together talking with each other and faculty members, including Craig Watson, a counselor; Kim Whitehead, professor of English and religious studies; and Billy Simmons, coordinator of international student services.
Karki was able to talk with her family shortly after the earthquake hit, but had not talked to them since. Others were able to get in touch with family, friends or neighbors. The main phone lines in Nepal were still down as of Saturday afternoon, so those students who did make contact did so mostly through social media.
“Facebook is helping to communicate with relatives or family members back home,” Manandhar said.
Still, he added that communication was getting worse, not better, as the afternoon wore on, and aftershocks struck their homes on the other side of the world.
Manandhar and Karki said their countrymen are staying outside in tents in the rain because aftershocks make it too dangerous to go into buildings.
The students are considering different ways to help those affected by the earthquake, according to Karki. Though they don’t have definite relief plans yet, they asked the community to consider donating clothing and money for the students to send to Nepal. Karki said she hoped to use the Market Street Festival next week as a venue to take donations.
The university will provide transportation for students who want to go to the Hindu Temple of Jackson today, according to Simmons.
The earthquake is hard on the students, especially since they’re coming up on finals and the end of the semester.
“Continue to pray for our students and the folks in Nepal,” Simmons said.
The magnitude 7.8 earthquake, which originated outside the capital Kathmandu, was the worst tremor to hit the poor South Asian nation in over 80 years. It was strong enough to be felt all across the northern part of neighboring India, Bangladesh, Tibet and Pakistan, where a total of 50 people died. The death toll in Nepal was 1,130, but was almost certain to rise, said deputy Inspector General of Police Komal Singh Bam.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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