Shropshire man gives first-hand account of the devastation in Nepal
A Shropshire man has spoken of the fear he has seen in his friends and colleagues in Nepal after the country was hit by two devastating earthquakes.
Ant Eddies-Davies, of Live The Adventure, in Stottesdon, near Bridgnorth, calls Nepal his second home after working and training out there for the past 25 years.
He flew out to the country this week to see how he could help his friends and colleagues after they lost their family members, homes and schools in the disaster.
What he found was a very different country to the one he knows so well, where people are still sifting through the rubble that was once their homes and are too scared to go indoors for fear of another tremor.
“Flying from Bhutan to Nepal over the roof of the world, the Himalayan summits penetrated the clouds and all seemed idyllic. This is the complete contrast to what actually lies hidden below as I touched down in Kathmandu,” said Ant from Kathmandu today.
“My first impressions as we came in to land were surprisingly positive at first, but then I spotted the mosaic of coloured tarpaulins filling every spare bit of open space below, scattered throughout the capital. As the plane taxied to the terminal I could also see military planes loading to depart. The first response teams have done their jobs and have started to depart whilst the aid teams are still on the ground working throughout Nepal.
“On the ground it was a little more subdued then the vibrancy that I’m used to, but in a weird way driving through the city to the hotel, it did seem the same old Nepal I love and it feels right for me to be here at this time.
“Unexpectedly during a catch up with a friend over breakfast the windows shook, deep rumbling surrounded us and everyone in the room looked like they were expecting the worse, only to find out it was one of the many low flying military helicopters passing over the city.
“It was immediately evident that everyone is living in permanent fear of more to come. There have been over 100 tremors and aftershocks since the first quake, with the latest one yesterday.
“Everyone uses stairs and not the lifts and carrying passports at all times seem to be the general rule.
“I later ventured into the older area of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, famous for its old temples and religious sites. It was hard to walk around without sharing their loss at the destruction of these 12th century structures all tightly squeezed into one area, with many totally gone and others propped up full of cracks.
“Speaking to locals, they estimated 1,500+ have died as a result of the destruction just in this part of the city and now many of the buildings still standing will need demolishing and are presently unsafe.
“Many were out clearing rubble with their hands and families sifting through debris for remnants of their home.
“There seems to be a lot of movement of people as a result of the earthquake. Many have left Kathmandu for the safety of villages unaffected by the earthquake, scared of the risk of further shocks and already damaged properties. I have also seen those that have fled their rural villages where homes were flattened, to find shelter in the capital, even if it is only a tarp over their head - it’s the safer option.
“After checking a few friends are ok around Kathmandu I’m then heading up to the Sindhupalchok area. I have been warned it looks like a war zone and has been completely flattened, but this is an area where I have worked, lived in their communities, built schools, trained guides and made many friends. This is the reason I came. To show these communities that the help has not gone, but is here for the long-term redevelopment of communities such as these.
As my first day comes to and end in Nepal I get a call from friends whose office I partner in Kathmandu who have left the city for the safety of their home village. Their office is unsafe and they fear being in their own home with the obvious risk of more aftershocks. With one of them in plaster with a broken leg and restricted ability to react – the risk is too high.
Their desperation for an end to these tragic events and the thoughts of such a massive recovery can be heard in their voices, and you can’t help but get a little emotional.”
Live The Adventure has launched an appeal to raise £25,000, for which Ant will be identifying a dedicated project while talking to friends and colleagues in Kathmandu. The adventure centre in Stottesdon will be holding an Open Day on May 31 to raise the vital funds the country so needs. A number of further fundraising activities are also planned for the summer.
A dedicated website – www.nepalappeal.com - is now live with more information and updates on the appeal, which is in the process of becoming a registered charity to ensure all proceeds raised go directly to projects on the ground in Nepal.
