Nepal is a landlocked, mountainous country in South Asia. It is home to Mount Everest and is bordered by China and India. In April 2015, a 7.8 Mw earthquake shook this nation. It killed over 8,000 people and injured over 19,000 people. It was the worst natural disaster in Nepal since the earthquake in 1934. It even triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, which – in turn – killed at least 19, making April 25 the deadliest day in history on this mountain. Power blackouts, supply shortages, and transportation difficulties ensued. Continued aftershocks occurred in fifteen to twenty minute intervals. Doctors had to operate on patients in makeshift areas and found that they were low on medical aid. Information about the situation in rural areas is uncertain. Some villages have been completely destroyed due to the earthquake and following landslides. Several aid groups and around sixteen nations sent help to alleviate the situation. Four US citizens have been killed. The US Embassy stayed open to shelter 305 US citizens.
The US Geological Survey forecasted that there would be an aftershock. Unfortunately, a month later, Nepal was hit by another massive, 7.3 magnitude earthquake that sent locals scrambling for their lives once again. Even though this earthquake was weaker, it was still deadly. Many Nepali have been injured or killed, along with at least seventeen people in neighboring India. Residents in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, ran into the streets to avoid crumbling buildings. Hundreds of people ran out of the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. People said that they could visibly see and feel buildings shaking and swaying. Tents filled the open spaces in the capital city and in other areas around the country. The tremors were so strong that the impact could be felt 1,000 kilometers away in New Delhi, the capital of India. A woman died in Tibet when her car was hit by falling rocks.
The US military announced that a Marine Corps helicopter, a UH-1 Huey, has gone missing. The helicopter had six Marines and two Nepalis who were involved in disaster relief efforts. The US military states that the wreckage has been found high on a mountainside and that there are unfortunately no survivors. Prior to the crash, the crew radioed in and said that the helicopter was experiencing a fuel problem. Two other Hueys, two tilt-rotor planes, and choppers searched for the missing helicopter, along with 600 Nepali soldiers. The aircrafts were a part of a joint task force that the US sent to Nepal in order to provide help.
Generally, seismic activity tapers off after a large earthquake, but this has not happened in Nepal. Geophysicists predict that there may be additional aftershocks due to the seismic activity and terrain of this mountainous nation. There are many ways to donate to the relief effort. Apple, for instance, promises to transfer 100% of donation to the Red Cross and to not share personal information (including name and credit card number) to charities or nonprofits.