Winnipeg mom, daughter safe in Nepal after Mount Everest avalanche

A pair of Winnipeggerswho were climbing Mount Everest are safe andmembers of the localNepalese community are rallying in support of their home country after Nepal was rocked by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake Saturday.

The death toll has risen to more than 4,000as aftershocks continued to ripplethrough the area Sunday during search and rescue efforts. Many are still unaccounted for.

• Winnipeg Nepalese community shocked after deadly earthquake

Joan and Kelsey Griffith-Parker wereon the mountain two days priorto when the earthquake caused an avalanche.

"I checked the news at 8 a.m.It wasn't until about threeor fourhours later that we got a call they were all right," said Lauren Griffith-Parker."We were definitely really scared and praying a lot. We were trying to contact them."

Griffith-Parker said her mom and sisterleft for their trek on Mount Everest four weeks ago.This was Kelsey's first time doing the climb, while hermom Joan did it almost 30 years ago.

Griffith-Parker got both an email and a call this weekend from her sister and mother reassuring her they made their descent two days before the earthquake andare safe.

Winnipeg Nepalis unite

Manyof theroughly 700Nepali people living in Winnipeg have family and friends impacted by the earthquake. And on Sunday, they came together and started raising money to send back home as part of the disaster relief efforts.

Chitra Pradhan, who has family in Nepal, said Saturday he lost a call with his nephew Saturday morning during what sounded like a repeat tremor hours after the first quake. He said he'sremaining hopeful.

"Hopefully this country will spring back, with the help of the world, with communication so good now," said Pradhan."I have been watchingFacebookmessages and the whole word is sending messages to Nepal."

Winnipegger Mahesh Ghimire hasfamily livingright where the earthquake struck. Ghimire's glad they are safe, but he said he can't stop worrying.

"Loved ones are very scared," said Ghimire."They are sleeping outside."

Ghimire said his 85-year-old dad and otherfamily members arestaying outdoors because they are afraid that another tremor could roll through the area and potentially leave them trapped in an already unstable building.

The Winnipeg grouphas already raisedabout $5,000.Tara Subedibelieves any amount will help.

"Medical help, water, food, shelter, probably those are some of the things required immediately," said Subedi. "There are probably still people under the rubble, so you know, those kind of help you know to get people out of the rubbles"

The NepaliCultural Society ofManitoba saidso far, none of its members have lost anyone in Nepal.

Anyone interested inhelping outcan drop off donations at TD CanadaTrust locations in Winnipeg.