Churches and Members Among Those Affected by Western Nepal Earthquake

The disaster caused significant devastation and casualties, leaders reported.

November 15, 2023 | Rukum, Nepal | Northern-Asia Pacific Division, and Adventist Review

A local Seventh-day Adventist church in the Rukum district of northwestern Nepal is among the damaged structures after a powerful earthquake struck the Karnali region at 11:47 p.m. local time on November 3, causing significant devastation. Reporting from the region, a Korean missionary in Nepal witnessed the earthquake’s aftermath.

During an interview via messenger, Kim Hae-Sung, world mission director of the Nepalese Section, said, “The capital Kathmandu was not affected, but in Jajarkot and Rukum, near the epicenter, 143 people have lost their lives,” according to official sources.

Jajarkot, a mountainous district with a population of 190,000, faces concerns from Nepalese authorities regarding the rising death toll due to the earthquake’s occurrence in the middle of the night, cutting off communication. The full extent of the damage remains unknown, with many of the injured in critical condition.

“Particularly in Rukum, there are four Adventist churches established by Adventist volunteer missionary Jong Hoon Kim, along with several Protestant churches that recently sought to transition into Adventist beliefs,” Kim explained. “While the Seventh-day Adventist church sustained damage that is not of immediate concern, there was a church among the Protestant congregations that saw its temple and members’ homes destroyed, resulting in several fatalities, including children.”

Kim reported that 16,570 homes in Rukum were completely destroyed, many of them poorly constructed with stone and wood. Though relief and aid from neighboring countries such as India, China, and Japan have arrived, it remains insufficient. National leaders, including the president, canceled overseas trips to visit affected areas.

“The victims are enduring extreme hardship due to cold and poor conditions. We are particularly concerned about the potential spread of diseases resulting from destroyed toilets, compromised water facilities, and deteriorating water quality,” Kim said as he called for church members and leaders to pray for the swift relief of Nepal’s people from their pain and suffering.

The original version of this story was posted on the Northern Asia-Pacific Division news site.