THE NEPAL EARTHQUAKE OF APRIL 25,2015

Part 7: Seventh & Eighth Day Happenings

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna, Disaster Reduction, Vienna,

Virginia, USA Virginia, USA 

LOCATION MAP (Credit: AP)

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY: THE PRIMARY FOCUS ON

SAVING LIVES IS OVER; NOW IT’S ON PREVENTING A HEALTH DISASTER AND

PROVIDING FOR PEOPLE’S NEEDS

THE DEATH TOLL NOW EXCEEDS 6,800; INJURIES

14,000

THE HARD DECISION HAS TO BE MADE

• "It has already been one week since the disaster," said home ministry spokesman Laxmi Prasad Dhakal. "We tried our best [with the help of 20 other countries] in our rescue work, but now I don't think that there is any possibility of survivors under the rubble."

ANOTHER HARD DECISION HAS TO BE MADE

• "Hospitals are overflowing, water is scarce, bodies are still buried under the rubble and people are still sleeping in the open. This is a perfect breeding ground for diseases," said Rownak Khan, Unicef's deputy representative in Nepal.

ANOTHE HARD DECISION HAS TO BE MADE

• "We have a small window of time to put in place measures that will keep earthquake-affected children safe from infectious disease outbreaks, a danger that would be exacerbated by the wet and muddy conditions brought on with the rains," added Khan.

THURSDAY: Day 6 PHOTOS

CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS

These pictures are used only for educational purposes with

zero financial benefit

ELDERS SITTING IN KATHMANDU (Credit: AP)

RECAP OF THE WEEK

THURSDAY-FRIDAY-SATURDAY

MANY SURVIVORS, ESPECIALLY IN THE REMOTE LOCATIONS ARE ANGRY

BECAUSE OF THE PERCEIVED SLOWNESS OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF AID;” - - -

MANY SURVIVORS ARE ANGRY AND PROTEST (Credit: AP)

MIRACULOUS RESCUES, BETWEEN SATURDAY AND

THURSDAY, HELP TO TRANSFORM THE ANGER

INTO A RAY OF HOPE

BABY RESCUED ON SUNDAY BY NEPALESE SOLDIERS (Credit: AP)

MOUNT EVEREST RESCUES ON MONDAY (Credit: AP)

GERMAN TEAM MAKES RESCUE ON WEDNESDAY (Credit: AP)

A RESCUE BY INDIAN TEAM ON WEDNESDAY (Credit: AP)

A RESCUE ON WEDNESDAY (Credit: AP)

THURSDAY

MORE MIRACULOUS RESCUES OF SURVIVORS BURIED IN RUBBLE BEYOND

THE “GOLDEN 48 HOURS;” - - -

NORWAY-ISRAEL-FRANCE TEAM RESCUE 24-YEAR-OLD WOMAN (Credit: AP)

15-YEAR-OLD BOY RESCUED BY ARMED FORCE POLICE (Credit: AP)

“NEPAL WILL BEBOUND”

Nepal’s Prime minister

WEDNESDAY

“THE CALVARY ARRIVE:” RESCUE AND AID TEAMS FROM GERMANY,

INDIA,CHINA, JAPAN, TAIWAN, THAILAND, NORWAY, BHUTAN, USA, AND ISRAEL

WERE WORKING WITH NEPALESE PROFESSIONALS IN REMOTE AREAS; - - -.

WEDNESDAY

IN SPITE OF OVER 5,300 DEAD AND 10,000 INJURED, NEPAL WAS SHOWING SIGNS

OF SLOWLY RETURNING TO NORMAL AS MANY RESIDENTS SLEEP AT HOME, BUT

MANY PEOPLE PROTESTED OPENLY ABOUT THE SLOWNESS OF THE

GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE,, ESPECIALLY WITH FOOD; - - -

TUESDAY

NEPAL’S PRIME MINISTER, SUSHI KOIRALA VOWED IN A NATIONALLY TELEVISED ADDRESS TO REBOUND

FROM THE DISASTER, WHICH IMPACTED 8 MILLION+ PEOPLE AND LEFT 1.4 +

MILLION URGENTLY NEEDING FOOD, WATER, MEDICINES, SHELTER, AND

SANITARY FACILITIES; - - -

8 MILLION+ IMPACTED (Credit: AP)

1.4 MILLION NEPALESE NEED FOOD AND OTHER NECESSITIES (Credit: AP)

TUESDAY (continued)

AT LEAST 5,000 PEOPLE DEAD, 8,068 INJURED; PRIME MINISTER SUSHI

KOIRALA SAID THAT THE NUMBER OF DEAD COULD REACH 10,000 AFTER THE

REMOTE VILLAGES AND MOUNTAINSIDES ARE VISITED IN DETAIL; - - -

MASS CREMATIONS (Credit: The World Post)

TUESDAY (continued)

THE GOVERNMENT HAD ESTABLISHED 16 LARGE TENT CAMPS IN KATHMANDU; MANY RESIDENTS CONTINUED SLEEPING

IN THE STREETS OR IN OPEN SPACES AWAY FROM DAMAGED BUILDINGS,

HOMES, AND WALLS;

TENS OF THOUSANDS SLEEPING OUTSIDES (Credit: AP)

TENS OF THOUSANDS WAITING - - - (Credit: AP)

- - - AND PRAYING (Credit: The World Post)

TUESDAY (continued)

HUNDREDS OF GLOBAL EMERGENCY SERVICES, CHARITIES, DISASTER RELIEF

AGENCIES, AND VOLUNTEERS WERE DOING THEIR BEST TO GET TO NEPAL AND HELP THE PEOPLE IMPACTED BY

THE DISASTER;

TUESDAY (continued)

PLANES WERE NOW LANDING AT KATHMANDU AIRPORT;

RELIEF SUPPLIES ARRIVING AT KATHMANDU (Credit: AP)

RELIEF SUPPLIES FROM SRI LANKA ARRIVING AT KATHMANDU (Credit: AP)

TUESDAY (continued)

“S AND R” SURGED AS “GOLDEN 48 HOUR PERIOD” ENDED AND INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS FROM 12 COUNTRIES BEGAN

ARRIVING TO ASSIST NEPALESE PROFESSIONALS WITH “S AND R” AND

DISTRIBUTION OF AID;

TUESDAY (continued)

SNOW, RAIN, AFTERSHOCKS, AND A MUDSLIDE THAT DEVESTATED A REMOTE

VILLAGE (Ghodatabela),CONTINUED TO HINDER OPERATIONS;

TUESDAY (continued)

UNITED NATIONS DISASTER ASSISTANCE FUND RELEASED $15 MILLION; WORLD

FOOD PROGRAM BEGAN DISTRIBUTION, BUT WAS HINDERED BY RAIN AND

LANDSLIDES.

TUESDAY (continued)

BAD NEWS FOR THE FUTURE: Earthquake experts said Saturday's earthquake did not release all of the pent-up seismic pressure

in the region near Kathmandu. According to GPS monitoring and geologic studies, “some 33 to 50 feet (10 to 15 meters) of

motion may still need to be released,” said Eric Kirby, a geologist at Oregon State

University.

SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2015

• A massive block of the Earth’s crust, roughly 125 km (75 miles) long and 61 km (37 miles) wide, lurched 3 m (10 feet) to the south Saturday over the course of 30 seconds. Riding atop this block of the crust was the capital of Nepal — Kathmandu — and millions of Nepalese people.

SUNDAY

CAPITAL DEVASTATED; AFTERSHOCKS CONTINUED; AT LEAST 2,500 PEOPLE

DEAD; AT LEAST 6,400 INJURED; THOUSANDS NEEDED SHELTER, FOOD, AND WATER; AVALANCHES; “S AND R” OPERATIONS ENERGIZED AND INTER-NATIONAL AID PLEDGED, BUT BOTH HINDERED BY A M6.7 AFTERSHOCK

USA, India, Sri Lanka. China, Pakistan Bhutan and European Union countries

were among those who pledged money and

assistance immediately. 

SUNDAY

• Nepal’s capital became a tent city, as thousands of displaced residents stayed overnight in their dark gardens or out on the rubble-littered streets, afraid to go back inside because of aftershocks that exacerbated existing damage, triggered new avalanches on Mount Everest, and hindered search and rescue operations and all aspects of life.

MONDAY

NEPAL: SHORT ON SHELTER, FUEL, FOOD, WATER, MEDICINES, POWER,

TENTS, BLANKETS, TARPS, SANITARY FACILITIES, CASH, and WORKERS; - - -

MONDAY (continued)

AT LEAST 4,000 PEOPLE DEAD, 7,180 INJURED; “S AND R” CONTINUED AS

SOME INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS ARRIVED TO ASSIST IN STRICKEN CITIES

AND ON MT EVEREST; ROADS AND TRAILS BLOCKED BY LANDSLIDES;

AFTERSHOCKS CONTINUED.

MONDAY (continued): LIFE ALMOST SHUT DOWN

• Schools remained closed, most businesses were shuttered, banks were closed and ATMs lacked electricity to dispense cash.

• Long lines of motorcycles and cars formed at the few gas stations that had fuel.

MONDAY (continued): LIFE ALMOST SHUT DOWN

• The entire Katmandu Valley was suffering from drinking water shortages due to power outages and severe damage to utility pipelines.

MONDAY (continued): LIFE ALMOST SHUT DOWN

• Phone lines were down throughout the city, cellphone service was spotty and Internet access was very limited.

MONDAY (continued):STATUS OF “S AND R” and RELIEF

• Forty-eight hours after the M7.8 earthquake, rescue and relief workers had not yet reached numerous remote mountain villages, where some reports had suggested that 70% or more of the homes had been reduced to heaps of rubble and survivors needed all the basic necessities of life.

MONDAY (continued): LIFE ALMOST SHUT DOWN

• Rumors abounded everywhere that a bigger earthquake was eminent, creating additional concern among the survivors.

SLEEPING OUTSIDE AGAIN

• Tens of thousands of families slept outdoors for a second night, fearful of aftershocks that continued to happen.

• Camped in parks, open squares and a golf course, they cuddled children or pets to fight off chilly Himalayan nighttime temperatures.

SLEEPING OUTSIDE AGAIN

• They awakened to the sound of dogs yelping and jackhammers.

SOUNDS ON MONDAY MORNING

• As the dawn light crawled across toppled building sites, volunteers and rescue workers carefully shifted broken concrete slabs and crumbled bricks mixed together with simple household items: pots and pans; a purple notebook decorated with butterflies; a framed poster of a bodybuilder; so many shoes.

NEPAL’S MILITARY RESCUE TEAMS AT WORK (Credit: AP)

NEPAL’S MILITARY RESCUE TEAMS AT WORK (Credit: AP)

Nearing exhaustion, nearly the entire 100,000-member Nepalese soldier army was

involved in search and rescue operations

The work was slow because many workers — water tanker drivers, electricity company

employees and laborers needed to clear debris— have gone to their families and are

staying to help them.

Many roads and trails were blocked by landslides, and the

airport that had been overwhelmed by traffic, or

closed; hindering travel, work, and arrival of international

workers and relief supplies.

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