Another tragedy in Nepal.
This time, it was an earthquake, as well as the aftershocks.
And the death toll keeps mounting. It started off with over 100. Then, it reached in the hundreds, plural. Then, over one thousand.
Now, the latest death toll stands at 4,800, according to a news report from CNN a few hours before my writing this.
Plus, a whole lot more affected - eight million across Nepal! That includes over one million children in desperate need of assistance!
The thing about Nepal is that it is a nation blessed with almost unparalleled natural beauty, yet it remains one of the poorest countries in the world. While some of the tallest peaks in the world grace the landscape, most of the people themselves live in dire poverty.
I was always fascinated by Nepal, ever since a young child. As people who follow this blog entry know, or anyone who knows me well enough personally could attest, I became a stamp collector because my grandfather had an impressive collection that was inspiring for a young boy. One of my favorites was a first day cover that showed three stamps showing the majestic, snow covered peaks of Mt. Everest. It was beautiful, and lent the impression of Nepal as a land of exotic, almost inaccessible beauty. The flag of the country was shaped very differently than that of any other country, which also distinguished it in my mind's eye from all other countries. There was just something fascinating about Nepal.
Yet, in the last half year or so, this country has suffered some incredible shocks, with a huge tragedy - the biggest of it's kind at the time - on Mt. Everest in the fall, when dozens of people were buried under avalanches from an unexpectedly strong storm system. And now, of course, the earthquakes and their aftershock, that have completely devastated the nation, and buried yet more tourists under avalanches. It likely will not stem the tide of tourists too badly, although you never know. And Nepal certainly cannot afford to lose the tourists who flock here for the challenge of scaling mighty Himalayan peaks.
Ironically, while there were long fears that a major quake could devastate the capital city of Katmandu, it actually was not affected too adversely.
Obviously, however, the rest of the nation has been dramatically impacted, with tragic results.
Rescue efforts from around the world are gearing up and mobilizing, and some relief efforts are already arriving. Hopefully, the good work will help the suffering people there.
I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on the people of the beautiful country of Nepal.
Nepal earthquake: Death toll passes 4,800 as rescuers face challenges By Ivan Watson, Jethro Mullen and Laura Smith-Spark, CNN, April 28, 2015:
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