It was a 3 a.m. phone call from his father that helped Suraj Mali find some comfort in the midst of devastation and destruction in Nepal.
"It was 3 in the morning last Saturday when my dad called, and he's like, 'Hey, don't you worry; a big earthquake just hit us, but I'm OK. I'm safe," recalled Mali, who was at college in the Bay area when the earthquake hit.
Mali's family was among the few to walk away from the earthquake that left the country he calls home in ruins.
"It was just heart-wrenching to see all the loss of lives, to see centuries-old temples crumble down to pieces, to see people crying in desperation," said Mali. "It's really unsettling."
Most of the once beautiful, ancient palaces and temples are now piles of brick and rubble. The earthquake killed thousands and left even more without power, water and only very little food.
"It's bad at the capital, but it's worse outside," said Mali.
Dozens of inaccessible villages outside of the capital are still waiting for help, because landslides and mountainous terrain make it difficult for aid to get in to assist.
People from all around the world have been offering help in the country's time of need, and Mali said the people of Nepal are resilient, but need all the help they can get.
"People have been coming together and helping each other get on their feet again in the face of this adversity," said Mali.
To find out how to donate aid to Nepal locally, check out gofundme.com/TPANepalEarthquake
In response to the earthquake in Nepal, Bay News 9 and News 13's parent company, Bright House Networks, is making all customer calls to Nepal, on both land lines and cell phones, free of charge through the end of May.