By Usha Wagle Gautam/Correspondent
Members of the Nepali community in Qatar were in shock yesterday after news of deaths and destruction poured in following a massive earthquake of 7.8 magnitude rocked the Himalayan country.
A large number of Nepali expatriates are worried as they were not able to contact their relatives back home as the telecommunication lines have been severely hit.
However, most of the Nepali nationals hailing from cities, including Kathmandu, have been able to speak to some of their dear ones, Gulf Times has learnt. Qatar is home to about 400,000 Nepali workers.
Several people coming from the interior and far-flung areas of the mountainous country have not been able to establish contacts with their families and they are worried, a senior member of the community said.
Most of the Nepali expatriates Gulf Times spoke to said their families and relatives were safe though some of them said their houses have suffered damage and they have lost dear ones. All of them were sad
at the large-scale destruction of houses, monuments, temples, roads and bridges in addition to the loss of thousands of lives.
“It will take days to fathom the real loss of lives and property because many of the affected villages lie in remote areas, which are hard to access even during normal times,” a person familiar with the country said. “In such areas, most of the houses are built with mud and bricks, making them vulnerable to powerful quakes.”
He said the mudslides and avalanches that have followed the earthquake will also make relief and rescue efforts very difficult. Reports said roads have cracks and bridges are broken.
Sanjaya Tamang, who hails from Nuwakot district of Fikuri VDC, told Gulf Times that 90% of the houses in his village have been damaged. The quake also killed cattle. He said his family and other villagers escaped injuries as they were harvesting maize in the field. “My house built by my father seven years ago has been rendered uninhabitable. All the other villagers are also in trouble.”
Santa Tamang from eastern Nepal has lost his mother. “I talked to my mother just yesterday and today she is no more. It was one of the worst days of my life. I could not talk to my family, but I was able to speak to my neighbour.”
Hari Bistha from Lalitpur, who has been in Qatar since 2009, said he had built a house last year with the money he earned in Qatar but it has collapsed. “I am trying to go home this week itself.”
M Hamad Raja from Janakpur said there has been no loss of lives in his town. However, reports said the well- known Janaki temple has developed cracks.
Parkash Tamang, who has been in Qatar for more than a decade, said his home in Nwakot Bhalche VDC’s ward number 2 has been destroyed completely. “My wife is seriously injured. The roads have also been damaged, so she could not be taken to a hospital.”
He said he bought the new house just three years ago for Rs1.5mn, the money he saved from his earning in Qatar. “My savings of several years were lost in 15 seconds. Today, I could not go to work. My mind is still not working. The bodies of 15 people from my village have been recovered. Five members of my neighbour’s family perished in the quake. Many of the villagers have been injured.”
Several other Nepali expatriates, like Gop Sunar from Shyanja Arjurchaupari VDC and Deepak Lamichane from western Nepal, said their homes have been destroyed and they have lost relatives in the quake.
The Nepali embassy has not announced any specific plan to help its citizens in Qatar.
Non-resident Nepalese association National Co-ordination Council Qatar has launched steps to help the victims of the earthquake.
