KATHMANDU, NEPAL (May 12, 2015) — Two Covenanters serving with Medical Teams International (MTI) in Kathmandu report that they are safe following a strong earthquake today.

 

Michaela Evans, Asia program coordinator for MTI, emailed family and supporters today that “All MTI staff and volunteers have been accounted for and we are staying out in the open until we have further information.”

Nepal officials say at least 66 people have been killed and more than 1,200 injured by the 7.3-magnitude quake that struck near Mount Everest.

Evans recently joined her mother, Sharon Tissell, who is a nurse. She had traveled to Nepal following the April 28 earthquake that killed more than 8,000 people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes.

Dwain Tissell, pastor of Eastridge Covenant Church in Clackamas, Oregon, said his daughter traveled to Nepal to oversee the nonprofit’s logistics. His wife has been in Nepal since several days after the first quake.

Evans wrote, “We are based at Rokpa Guesthouse in Kathmandu and will continue to stay put until we have further intel and are confident that the aftershocks have calmed. There has been no significant damage to our lodgings.”

People fled buildings, and an MTI tweet quoted children at the ROKPA Children’s Home saying, “We feel safer outside.” The children were camping outside this afternoon, and another MTI tweet stated they were singing.

Several aftershocks measuring a magnitude 5.6 to 6.3 have followed since today’s quake.

Covenant World Relief is partnering with MTI to provide care in the area. A special disaster relief fund has been established.