A Sittingbourne woman has spoken of the heart-breaking destruction she witnessed in Nepal after returning from a volunteering trip to the country.

At least 9,000 people died and 19,000 injured when an earthquake measuring 7.8 struck last month.

It happened west of the capital Kathmandu, destroying entire villages and triggering powerful tremors in neighbouring India, China and Bangladesh.

Lizzie Lowrey, who used to work as a barmaid at the Harps Inn, Minster, had been working as a programme leader for the government-funded charity VSO Youth for a matter of weeks when the quake struck.

The 26-year-old, who was staying with a host family, was in a group meeting in the
country’s Lamjung District, just 30 miles from its epicentre, when it happened.

She and other charity workers fled the building as the ground shook beneath their feet and gathered outside to make sure nobody had been injured.

However, former Highsted Grammar School pupil described the shocks they felt as relatively minor compared to those experienced by people in the capital.

Lizzie and her colleagues only realised the full scale of destruction when they began receiving frantic phone calls from relatives and friends enquiring about their safety.

VSO Youth’s headquarters immediately drew up emergency plans to transport the British youngsters home as the widespread problems Nepal faced became clear.

Lizzie, who lives in Cherryfields with her parents, said: “When it happened it was slow to get news from Kathmandu; the phone lines were down and the power was out – a communication nightmare.

“When we went to Kathmandu on the Friday following the earthquake we saw the camps with people sleepingoutside, buildings being held up by bamboo scaffolding.

“The thing we really picked up on was the sense of fear, nobody would go back into their homes.

“Before when I visited Kathmandu it was all hustle and bustle and this time it was just quiet.

“All the shops were closed, the restaurants were closed; I didn’t know where the people had gone.”

Just last week, Nepalese people were left fearing for their lives again when a huge aftershock, measuring 7.3, was felt.

At least 110 more people were killed on top of April’s 9,000 casualties.

Upon hearing the news, Lizzie, who frantically called colleagues in Nepal to check on them. said: “I was devastated just knowing how life is for them.”

She is now hoping to raise money to help rebuild the country with a quiz night at the Sittingbourne Adult Education Centre at 7pm on June 5.

Anyone who wishes to help or donate prizes can contact Lizzie via lizzielowrey89@hotmail.com