Nepalese Expats Look For News, Ways To Help Following Earthquake

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Families in Sacramento with relatives in Nepal are closely watching the coverage coming out of the area.

The families we spoke to say their relatives back in Nepal are living in tents or out of their cars for now because going back inside their homes is too dangerous as aftershocks continue to hit the area.

"The devastation coming over the TV was just horrible," Frank Wallace said.

Images emerging from the rubble in Nepal have left the Wallace family back in Sacramento in disbelief. Dozens of their family members in Nepal there are now homeless.

"Everything is flat, everything is gone," Bina Wallace said.

Frank met his wife Bina in Nepal when he served in the Peace Corps there in the 1960's. The home where she and her sister Bunu lived as children was destroyed in the massive quake.

"They are very shaken. They say that they have never felt it like this," Bina said.

Their family members are now forced to live on the streets because going back inside their homes is not safe, as aftershocks continue to ripple through the area.

"Many of them have cars or jeeps, SUV's and they are sleeping in the vehicles at night now because it's been raining," Frank said.

Durga Dahal owns Kathmandu Kitchen, a Nepalese restaurant, in Sacramento.

"There's no medicine, there's no water," Dahal said. "There's problems with the food."

His family members back in Nepal are now living in tents in a makeshift campsite with no access to electricity or other basic needs.

"People are so scared, people are so scared where to go, what to do," Dahal said.

Historical monuments that stood for centuries and were popular tourist attractions have been flattened – now only memories in photographs for the Wallace family.

"We are lucky, thanks [to] God we are lucky. Our family is safe," Bunu said. "But we are sorry for those who lost their people, family, relatives. We are sorry for them. Our heartfelt prayers are with them. We love them, we love Nepal."

If you would like to help, Kathmandu Kitchen will donate 25% of their dinner sales for the next coming days. A GoFundMe drive has been set up locally here, while several other GoFundMe accounts can be found here.