Local nurse gives eyewitness account of earthquake in Nepal

 To give you perspective the US Geological Survey says the quake was centered near Lamjung and one of the hardest hit areas was in the capital city of Kathmandu. 

But the effects were felt all over, including in Pokhara, where Franklin resident Debbie Urbanek watched a building fall to rubble right in front of her. 

\"There are no buses, planes trains leaving the city. I could not get out of nepal right now if I wanted to. How does it feel? I feel trapped,\" said Debbie Urbanek.

 It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime. 

\"I've been a nurse for 33 years and it's always been on my bucket list,\" said Urbanek. 

Last week veteran nurse Urbanek landed in Nepal ready to see the sights and volunteer at a local hospital.  

A week into her trip, Urbanek was exploring a cave when she heard what she thought was thunder. 

\"Everybody had this panicked look on their face. The thunder to me was lasting a long time, not a rolling thunder but constant thunder which was unusual,\" said Urbanek. 

Knowing it was something much worse, a tour guide rushed them all into the street.  

\"Right after the rumble and the shaking stopped a building in front of us just tumbled and all I could see was just dust. The whole side of the building was toppled,\" said Urbanek.

Unbelievably, on the way back to the hotel, that same tour guide took Urbanek and her group to another tourist destination, a military museum.

\"Found it pretty interesting until I got to the third floor and the guide looks at me with open eyes and panic and says \"Again!\" said Urbanek. 

It was the first of many aftershocks that quickly had Urbanek and the other nurses moving into the same hospital  where they would soon be volunteering. 

\"I have all my gear upstairs but I have my cell phone my passport and my computer with me here just in case I have to run, I don't want to be caught without a passport,\" said Urbanek. 

They say they're helplessly waiting wanting to help but struggling to connect to the outside world. We even had multiple connection issues while we tried to speak with Urbanek over the phone. 

Surprisingly, Urbanek says for the most part its business as usual in the city. 

\"We did not here get the devastation that Kathmandu got just because the buildings are not as close,\" said Urbanek. 

They brace for what is to come.

 \"People were still sleeping outside last night and probably will be again tonight to make sure they aren't trapped,\" said Urbanek. 


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