First person account of Nepal earthquake: 'I felt it could all be over in those few moments'

I was in Nepal attending a workshop on child marriage when the first big earthquake hit. It was when I was exiting the bathroom that the lights went off and everything around me started to shake — the kinds that can toss you around. Trying to walk in complete darkness I made my way towards the corridor where I hoped others would be.

A colleague was taking cover by a wall and I held on to him as he held on to another. We had first thought it was a terror attack and that someone was bombing the building. Soon it emerged to us that it was a massive earthquake. That very second I left everything else and ran for my life as I feared that the building will collapse. With all the energy I could muster I screamed and ran to get to the door that opened to the lawns outside.

Stones and cement blocks started to fall and the mind knew one had to run to save one's life. In uncertainty and panic I too did just that. Those split seconds are an unclear memory to me. I only remember screaming at the top of my voice and running towards the exit. My colleagues tell me my screaming 'run run' helped them get a sense of what was happening and they also sprinted for the exit.

We reached the lawn and sprawled on our stomach with our palms trying to balance ourselves. Strong tremors and aftershocks continued till long after as more and more guests from the hotel ran out. We were then cut off from the internet and phone lines.

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Many of the hotel staff was injured too – some suffered cuts while few bled profusely. We were then escorted to the tennis courts and camped in the open for the next six hours as the staff tried to bring to us whatever they could find to eat and water. Those injured were soon treated. The tremors continued but we were safe.

At around 6 pm it started to get cold and looked like it would rain. The manager of the hotel announced that we could shift to the lobby of the hotel. This was the first time we could see the damages. Many walls and ceilings had cracked open. The ground was split at places and tiles had come off. The hotel staff tried to remove some debris and was most helpful and patient. We still did not know the extent of damage outside and could only speculate. Initially we heard that the death toll was 300 in Kathmandu and that the iconic Dharahara was destroyed along with Bhaktapur Durbar Square - both places I was hoping to visit the next day.

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We stayed in the lobby and were discouraged to go to our rooms. However, the need to contact home made me rush to get a charger. I realised I should not have gone to the room alone. The staircases the corridors were all damaged. It was scary as aftershocks kept occurring every hour. Somehow I returned back and frantically tried to call home. Finally we got some internet and I was able to send messages and post on Facebook that I was safe.

It was time to sleep but we realised that it won't be easy. The tremors continued —some big, some small and with each tremor we felt the worst would happen now. Though we tried to catch some sleep, it was difficult because of the motion sickness that we all felt. We had to be on alert and prepared to run out any moment.

Around midnight we moved to the lawn so that we would not have to run elsewhere for safety. We could barely sleep because of the strong aftershocks. At times I did not know whether it was my mind playing games or was it for real. The birds started hooting/chirping and dogs howled each time indicating a tremor. It started to rain and with all our luggage — bagpacks, pillows and blankets — we made our way back to the lobby which was far, given how exhausted we were.

All through I tried to call or send another message across but network services were not available. Slowly, news of death and destruction was beginning to reach us with reports that more earthquakes were expected. The internet network was fluctuating which made it difficult to send across messages. My family back home had created a group on Whatsapp and were sharing information about me on it.

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With each aftershock people we would wake up troubled and jump up and start running towards the exit and the holding on after the tremor stopped. The mind and the body took it but it left a deep fear of uncertainty.

We spent the next morning trying to work out ways to reach the airport. Five others including me left at noon for the airport as news about another predicted earthquake came in. The guests and the staff were asked to move to the lawns once again.

We left for the airport, which was chaotic and choked by people. We finally got into a snail-paced queue for check-in and were in the middle of the queue when the second quake took place. Some staff members from different airlines left their seats and ran for shelter. This one left me terrified. It was clear that if the walls and ceiling gave away then we would be trapped and if panic sets in and the crowd starts running to the exit, there could be a stampede.

In both scenarios I was sure there was no way we could reach any exit given the rush. I was with three senior colleagues - two of them Americans and one Indian. As the tremors began, we tried to stand still holding on to our luggage as the building and people swayed and a few seconds later the lights went out. Some passengers panicked and ran for the exit. My heart was beating fast. There was nowhere to run at the small airport.

Priorities are quite clear when one is fearing death. I called up home but it didn't connect after repeatedly trying. I left a message on my notes in the phone. It read: "I love you all". A silent panic and sadness took over. I felt it could all be over in those few moments. But the tremors subsided and I could speak to my sister Niharika and my mom, who was near tears. A European passenger standing in a parallel queue at a distance saw me trying to hide my tears from behind my spectacles. He silently gestured to me that all will be fine. I nodded and smiled back. Such small gestures from random strangers had been happening all this time and made a lot of difference.

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Finally, we got our boarding passes and went through the security check. Thousands of passengers were stranded. The waiting lounge was more than full and now people were sitting out in the open near the runway. It was there when we saw a huge Indian Air Force plane, which we heard had just landed. A colleague of mine spoke to some officers and they assured her that everyone would be taken on board. That gave us some relief.

We were finally allowed to board at 7:30 pm — the injured, the elderly and the children given preference. Women and men followed. We boarded the aircraft and around 325 people were accommodated with most sitting on the spiked floor on the plane.

The Air Force officers were considerate and tried to accommodate as many passengers as possible. Some instructions and an hour and a half later we finally arrived in Delhi. It still feels that the earth is shaking and I am dehydrated. I hope normalcy is restored in Nepal and more and more strangers take it upon themselves to help and comfort one another.

(Written by Neha Rathi, a human rights lawyer at the Supreme Court)