The devastation in Nepal is much worse than anyone had expected, and certainly much worse than I said yesterday. There are 2,500 confirmed deaths and in addition, thousands of people have been left homeless. The shaking hasn't stopped either. The original quake Saturday morning was a magnitude 7.8 - the worst to hit Nepal in eighty years, and there have been numerous aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 6.7. Besides the Nepal fatalities, there have been deaths from the quake in India, Pakistan, China's region of Tibet and Bangladesh. Also, at least 18 people died in an earthquake-triggered avalanche on Mount Everest, including three Americans, Google executive Dan Fredinburg among them.
It's not over either. Many of the structures have been damaged to the point that more shaking can cause additional collapse. There are so many missing and unaccounted for people that it will likely be days before everyone knows the full impact of this. As I said yesterday, they need help - they need WAY more than I could have even estimated.
Some good news is that they are already getting help, from all around the world. It warms your heart to see that so many care and that some many want to do something. Earlier today, a friend of mine who is overseas, said "Even though I'm not really an emergency relief type of person, and I actually have only a light jacket with me, I just wanna jump on a plane to Nepal and see what I can do to help." That feeling is pretty universal. People want to help. As I said yesterday though, the best way is through recognized sources, people who are setup to help in these kinds of emergencies.
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