Untold Stories of the Nepalquake

'I was supposedly a 6 month old young baby, when Nepal was hit by the massive earthquake in 1934. At that time nearly 10,000 lost their lives. My mother put me to nap and went to out to feed our cattle. When she returned, our house was in ruins, i was trapped under the rubble. My mother put her all energy to dig me out of the rubble safely. I also survived another massive earthquke that hit Nepal in the year 1988. At least 1000 lives lost. Now i am 82 years old. Again I survived the most recent and biggest earthquake do hit Nepal, April 25, 2015. I was in toilet close to my house. When i returned back, my house had already turned into rubble. I was fortunate enough to not be in the house at that time, or else i would likely not have survived.' - Ram Krishna Upreti (82), Kabhre, Nepal (Photo : Sudhan Panthi)


Before talking about my upcoming book I first want to speak briefly about the earthquake victims in Nepal, those who were injured and those who are still in the hospital. It might not mean much but I want to wish them well and let the families of those who passed away know that I am praying for their loved ones to rest in peace.

The April 2015 Nepal earthquake killed over 8,000 people and injured more than 21,000. It occurred at 11:56 Nepal Standard Time on 25 April, with a magnitude of 7.8. A major aftershock occurred on 12 May 2015 with a magnitude of 7.3. More than 200 people were killed and more than 2,500 were injured by this aftershock.

No one believed that such a horrific disaster would happen in Nepal, and I think it reminded all of us of the uncertainty of life. I hope that my upcoming book also instills this message in the hearts of its readers, and demonstrates the importance of helping all living creatures. Complicated obstacles arrive in people's lives every day, and harsh circumstances can cause good people to do bad things.

This book is a collection of experiences of well-established people as well as Nepali earthquake victims, and shows a variety of viewpoints into many slices of life through history and time. Time can be the greatest teacher of all, and I hope that this book will be used and read throughout time, and that its meanings and messages can be adapted to fit whatever the reader is going through or needs help with.

Any kind of disaster can come in life, but by being compassionate and lending a helping hand to others, we can do our best to prepare for anything. In one sentence, this book could be summarized as an untold story about disaster.


"There's something wrong with my eyes. Are you there?" I was wailing heartbroken. My wife was deeply shocked, and stressed out to no measure. "I can't see a thing. Everything's black. Both my eyes are impaired. What is happening?" The sixth day after the first quake was the darkest day of my life. I am terrified of my future, of our future. But there are days when I collect myself and tell myself that everything will be all right, and that I will be able to see this beautiful world again. There's a light that never goes out and that is called 'hope'. - Binod Raj Ganika, Kathmandu, Nepal (Photo : Sudhan Panthi)

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It was complete pandemonium outside. People were running for their lives, trying to find a safe place for themselves and their families. Everyone was yelling "Earthquake! Earthquake!" at the top of their lungs. Some were crying, some were shaking uncontrollably, and some were doing their best to remain calm and collected for the sake of their families.

This book is written not to make readers feel weak or afraid, but to instead give them hope and make them feel strong. It can instill you with courage in many different ways, and tells stories of survival and perseverance through terrible circumstances and awful disasters.

People lined the streets praying to God. There was no food. Schools and clinics were closed, but people all around the world gave help to Nepal. It was a terrifying time, but we were helped in our moment of need. I am writing this to try to convince everyone to help others in need. Being on the receiving end of that help, I know how life-changing, and sometimes even life-saving, it can be.
I have collected stories from a variety of people directly involved in the earthquake in Nepal. We lost our homes, we lost our families and friends.


After few hours of trying, and in total of 22 hours of wait, woe and longing, I saw the face of my angel. My happiness knew no boundaries when I held my son in my arms. I couldn't stop myself from crying. I realized my child was precious to God as well; he was saved by the cupboard. It all felt like a dream. I thanked the relief team, my neighbors and God for their kindness. If it were just and the neighbors, it would have been impossible. Nepal Army really stood the test of time and succeeded. My baby survived the wrath of Mother Nature, he was saved by God. My baby is a miracle. - Rasmile Awale (35), Bhaktapur, Nepal. (Photo : Nischal Amatya)
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Personally, I was in a hotel eating lunch when the second earthquake happened. When it started I saw my life flash before my eyes and truly believed that I was about to die. Somehow the hotel stayed standing, and I thanked the Lord even though I knew many were not so lucky.

Police and doctors did everything they could to help the victims, but there was just so much chaos that they were not enough. Each and every chapter of this book explains how those who made it through the earthquake survived, and it describes the solutions to making it through emergency situations.

We lost so many cultural heritages and places, including the tallest Daharahara, but even though we lost so many things we did not lose everything. We are still proud to be Nepali and this is the time where we can show our strength and prove our ability to persevere. It is our tradition and culture to help one another, and through this terrible disaster we can grow even powerful. We can rebuild.

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