Harris Farm Markets in Orange has three staff members from Nepal, Pramila Panth, Bimla Bashyal and Lila Badathoki, and is selling raffle tickets and holding a clothing drive for those affected by the earthquake.

Mrs Panth has been living in Australia for almost nine years and was thankful for the support Orange residents had shown for those in her homeland, where about 4300 people died and many buildings were destroyed as a result of the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks.

“I was worried about everyone ... I was trying to reach mum and dad and sisters and I couldn’t reach them,” Mrs Panth said of her reaction after she discovered the severity of the earthquake.

“I think I reached them the next day and I was relieved.

“My parents live in Chitwan Nepal which is 100 to 150km away from that earthquake, but Nepal is a hilly country and they were affected ... it’s not as bad as in Kathmandu.” 

She said all her friends and family seemed to be okay, but in many areas rain had made the situation worse by causing already-damaged areas to slip.

“They haven’t gone home since Saturday, they are living on the ground,” she said.

“They are scared to go in.”

Harris Farm Markets Orange manager Mitchell Bennett said because he has worked with several Nepalese people at the Orange store, some of whom had since returned to live in Nepal, he was concerned when he heard about the earthquake.

He said there was also one employee, Mr Badathoki, who was in Nepal on holidays, so there was a period of time when he was madly trying to check on everyone’s welfare.

“Everything seems to be alright,” Mr Bennett said.

The raffle tickets cost $2 each and prizes will include fruit trays and cheese trays and will be drawn in about a month’s time.

Tickets went on sale on Monday morning and more than 300 tickets had been sold by mid-afternoon on Tuesday.

tanya.marschke@fairfaxmedia.com.au