Dubai: A group of friends from Dubai in quake-hit Nepal called family in the UAE on Tuesday morning to report they are safe, a family member said.
Five of the six men managed to call saying all are safe, Thanzeem Rawther, a sister of one of the friends, said.
“All are together, all are safe,” she added.
They will try to reach the capital Kathmandu by Tuesday evening and catch a flight back home when possible, Rawther said.
The holidaying group, all Indians in their 20s, had gone to The Last Resort adventure getaway 100km from Kathmandu.
They lost contact on Saturday after the 7.8-magnitude quake struck, killing over 4,300 people.
Phone and internet connectivity is still down or sporadic in huge swathes of Nepal after the violent quake.
Rawther said Tuesday morning’s calls, apparently made from the phones of locals, were the first confirmation they were all safe.
She added that the men said they were in a village 12-15km from the resort.
“There are broken roads. We don’t know how they got to the village, we’ll find out the details when they come back. They managed extremely well, we’re proud of them.”
Rawther said the group will try to catch a “two to three-hour minimum” bus ride to Kathmandu and try to call again from there.
“It was three whole days, I’m grey now,” Rawther said.
After Tuesday’s calls, Rawther posted on her Facebook page: “I’m jumping for joy! My baby brother [Thanweer] is safe!!”
