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Nepal earthquake 2015
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Hongkonger John Tsang Chi-sing had a lucky escape on Mount Everest. Photo: SCMP

Hongkonger cheats death and then rescues other climbers on Mount Everest in Nepal

A Hong Kong trekker who was on Mount Everest when an avalanche hit the base camp on Saturday, killing at least 18 people, shares how he escaped death and helped rescue other injured climbers trapped by an icefall.

A Hong Kong trekker who was on Mount Everest when an avalanche hit the base camp on Saturday, killing at least 18 people, has told the how he escaped death and helped rescue other injured climbers trapped by an icefall.

John Tsang Chi-sing, who had moved to the village of Gorakshepon when he spoke to the , said he heard a sudden bang before he witnessed "the biggest avalanche I have ever seen in my life".

"We ran immediately back to our dining tent," he said. "Me and my team got lucky and did not get hurt, but everyone was very scared."

Since the quake, he has helped with the rescue and transport of other climbers to safety.

The climbing ladders of many were broken and they were trapped by the icefall without food or gas, he said.

"Lots of climbers and sherpas haven't been found. So the rescue is still on," he wrote on his Facebook page. "No way to go down. God bless us!"

Six more Hongkongers visiting Nepal were found to be unharmed, the Immigration Department said on Monday.

A total of 19 Hongkongers had been located and confirmed to be safe as of Monday, the department said.

Five others remained missing. The department said it would continue to help their families locate the missing people. 

"Department officers will actively follow up on the cases of those who have lost contact with their families," a spokesman said.

The department has so far received 24 calls for assistance from Hongkongers visiting the country or their families.

Tsang was among five Hongkongers known to be in the Everest area at the time of the earthquake and confirmed to be safe. Others included Hong Kong teacher Ada Tsang Yin-hung, life education teacher at CUHKFAA Chan Chun Ha Secondary School in Ma On Shan, who was also at Mount Everest base camp when the 7.8-magnitude quake shook Nepal.

She sustained some scratches to her head and was taken to hospital by helicopter yesterday, according to her former student Juno Lee Chun-lung. She was planning to climb the mountain along with several women from China.

Another Hongkonger, Fred Bowers, was safe after he was trapped higher up the mountain. District councillor Paul Zimmerman, who contacted Bowers last night, said the icefall had damaged the base camp, but Bowers and other climbers were safe. They were waiting until it was safe to descend.

Another Hongkonger, Fred Bowers, was trapped higher up the mountain, where he is expected to remain for the time being, according to his friend and hiker Shum Si-ki.

The last time Shum and other friends heard about Fred was on Sunday when his hiking group posted a message on their website saying they were safe. 

Shum said Fred was trapped at Camp 1, which is higher than 1,600 metres. The paths back to the base camp were damaged by the quake so they had to wait until conditions improved, before trekking out, he said.

"There were ladders to bridge gaps between ice blocks but they were damaged. It would be dangerous to pass as there could be more avalanches," he said.

Shum's group, Hong Kong Hiking Meetup, is organsing a fund raiser for the victims of the quake. Shum said the group's volunteers had scheduled 25 hikes in Hong Kong's countryside till May to raise funds for the victims. The proceeds will go to relief organisations.

Another trekker, Jo Cheung-kei, 28, was safe on Poon Hill - a popular tourist destination for viewing the Himalayas - according to his girlfriend, Sylvia Chung Wan-shan, who posted the news on his Facebook page yesterday.

Meanwhile, Nepalis in Hong Kong were trying to reach their relatives and friends in the country via patchy phone networks, as the death toll mounted.

A man called Kumar from the Overseas Nepali Workers' Union said he was worried about his mother, who lived in the devastated capital Kathmandu.

"I was unable to reach my mother by phone in the afternoon," he said. "I know she is probably fine as the mobile networks are sporadic, but still it does not help not being able to reach her."

Speaking at Hong Kong airport in the morning, many Nepali passengers said they had decided to rush back to their home country to help relatives or offer assistance in relief work.

All tours from Hong Kong to Nepal have returned to the city safely, and new tours have been cancelled.

 

HK groups appeal for emergency supplies for quake-hit Nepal

A Nepalese group in Hong Kong has appealed for donations of emergency relief supplies including blankets, tents, flashlights and medicine for the earthquake-devastated country.

Non Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) chairman Durga Gurung said supplies could be dropped off at the Nepalese consulate in Tsim Sha Tsui, and they would be sent to Nepal tomorrow.

"We do not know the situation very clearly as the mobile phone network is patchy," Gurung said. "There are still smaller earthquakes happening occasionally. We are hoping to do what we can to help."

The group has already purchased 1,000 blankets and 1,000 flashlights for emergency relief, and it plans to open a bank account soon so that it can accept donations, Gurung said.

Consul general Mudita Bajracharya said the consulate had been contacted by many people wishing to volunteer for the rescue efforts in Nepal, and staff were still trying to work out with officials on the ground what help was needed. She added that the consulate would waive visa requirements for volunteers.

The death toll in the Himalayan nation has surpassed 2,300. The United States, European and Asian nations have sent emergency crews to assist those scrambling to find survivors in Kathmandu and in cut-off rural areas.

Plan International regional communications manager Mike Bruce said: "People are sleeping on the streets and cooking outside for the most part. And we are talking about very, very poor areas of Nepal - areas that are already suffering a great deal."

Other aid organisations said stocks of essential supplies were fast running out and appealed for donations to support relief efforts.

Hong Kong Red Cross said it had contributed HK$500,000 for immediate aid work. "Roads have been damaged or blocked by landslides and communication lines are down, preventing us from reaching local Red Cross branches to get accurate information," said Jagan Chapagain, Asia-Pacific director of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. "We anticipate that there will be considerable destruction and loss of life."

World Vision Hong Kong said more than 200 of the group's staff were in Nepal ready to join the relief effort, and it had contributed HK$1.56 million to help survivors.

Unicef said it had rescuers on the ground and was bringing in supplies including water purification tablets, hygiene kits, tarpaulins and food.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Cheating death, rescuing the injured
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