BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A collapsing glacier unleashed water across Nepal in a disaster of unimaginable scale. More than 7,000 miles away, Western New Yorkers who once lived in Nepal's refugee camps are heartbroken.
Bishnu Adhikari and Kala Tiwari are Bhutanese who were exiled to Nepal and lived there for many years before coming to Buffalo. They heard the news about the massive flooding Wednesday and said they can't believe what they're seeing.
"Not easy to speak about this thing. This tragedy is more than an earthquake, more than anything, more than war," said Adhikari.
WATCH: Nepal flooding leaves Western New York's Bhutanese-Nepali community heartbroken
"I can't watch. I can't. I start crying right away," said Tiwari, who came to Buffalo in 2008.
Adhikari explained the community's connection to Nepal.
"I'm a Nepalese speaker from Bhutan, and I'm Bhutanese, but our heart is there right now because this life today is given by Nepal," said Adhikari.
Tiwari said she had family in the area of one of the devastating floods just the night before the tragedy struck.
"She just contacted yesterday, and she says they're fine. But [now] they don't have a phone because they don't have electricity," said Tiwari. They borrowed a phone to make contact with their relatives.
Adhikari and Tiwari said they're working on plans to raise funds in Western New York to send to Nepal.
"It's a tragedy which is too much for the people to tolerate," said Adhikari.
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