Nepal Earthquake: American Describes 'Really Bad' Situation

ByHAMISH MACDONALD ABCNews logo
Monday, April 27, 2015

Alex Diaz is just one of hundreds of Americans stuck at Kathmandu airport trying to flee the aftermath of this weekend's deadly quake in Nepal.

Diaz, who hails from New York, described the situation at the airport as a "complete madhouse" -- with many Americans stuck trying to leave the disaster ravaged country.

"It's really bad," he told ABC News. "Flights are not leaving, or landing fast enough, so many diversions. My flight out is stuck in Dhaka."

As the situation worsens at the airport, officials announced today that the death toll had topped 4,000.

Diaz was visiting Nepal when the quake struck and is now urgently trying to leave along with countless Americans.

The U.S. State Department has not indicated exactly how many Americans are in Nepal who are trying to get out.

Diaz said the situation at Kathmandu airport it is "past desperate."

"We are just exhausted and resigned," he added. "Some people have been in this terminal for days. Basically you're living landing to landing. If your plane can land and only then you can get out, but you don't know which ones will land."

Diaz says people are sitting in the terminal tracking flights on flightradar24.

"Every so often one lands and that airline's people scuttle to the super crowded gates or they run out of fuel and divert and everyone madly dashes out to the ticket counters. You just don't know which ones will leave," he said.

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