US doctor returning from Nepal reacts to 2nd quake

Walter Perez Image
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
VIDEO: American doctor returns from Nepal
An American doctor who was there for the initial quake in Nepal has returned home to West Reading.

WEST READING, Pa. (WPVI) -- An American doctor who was there for the initial quake in Nepal has returned home to West Reading.

Dr. Neil Chesen says it is an experience he will never forget.

"I was in a town and had just walked into a teahouse and that's when the quake hit," Chesen said.

It was April 25 and Dr. Chesson was among the few Americans to witness the devastation of at 7.8 magnitude quake that rocked the nation of Nepal.

That experience left him heartbroken for the people and culture he has grown to love and admire.

That's why news that a 7.3 magnitude quake hit Nepal Tuesday hit him like a punch in the gut.

"It's so terribly upsetting after everything they've been through and to see this, you've got be kidding," Chesen said.

Last month's earthquake took more than 8000 lives with hundred still missing.

Dozens more were killed today not including at least 17 others killed in nearby India.

As for the survivors, Dr. Chesen says that while last month's quake brought them to their knees, today's quake, for many, will serve as that last swift kick.

"A lot of them have lost their livelihood because of trekking and tourism is a big part of their economy and that's just ground to a halt," Chesen said.

And he adds that with monsoon season around the corner the timing couldn't be worse.

"A lot of people are without food, there's no shelter, the monsoons are about to start. It's a really devastating experience that everyone's living through there," Chesen said.