Kashmiris concerned over fate of kin in quake-hit Nepal

As a pall of gloom descended on Nepal after the earthquake, families of several Kashmiris, who are working in Kathmandu, expressed concern over the fate of their loved ones as there has been no communication between them since the calamity hit the Himalayan nation.

"I have been trying to contact my younger brother since the earthquake struck this morning but have not succeeded so far," Aftab Ahmad Shah, whose younger brother Javed Ahmad Shah works in Nepal, told PTI. Shah said the family was worried about the well being of his younger brother in view of the widespread damage caused by the earthquake measuring 7.9 on Richter scale in Nepal.

Saleem Ahmad Bhat, a handicrafts dealer who returned home two days ago, said there were at least 2,000 Kashmiris working in Nepalese capital Kathmandu. "I hope they are safe as I have not been able to contact any of my friends there," Bhat said. Several Kashmiri businessmen, mostly handicrafts dealers, have set up showrooms and shops in Kathmandu in view of heavy tourist influx to the Himalayan state.