FOUR travellers from Oxfordshire have contacted their families to say they are safe after a massive earthquake struck Nepal.

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake in the country on Saturday left almost 4,000 people dead and thousands of others injured.

And as the search for survivors goes on, Nepalese Community Oxfordshire has started a fundraising drive to help send support to those left homeless and stranded.

Sue and Paul Gerhardt, from Oxford, faced an agonising wait for news from their son Laurence, 24, who was in Nepal when disaster struck.

He has been travelling with an old friend from Cherwell School, Joe Butchers, around Nepal as part of an end-ofuniversity trip after graduating from Sussex University.

Mrs Gerhardt, a psychotherapist, said: “They’re both fine. It’s such a tremendous relief; it has been a nightmare.”

She said Laurence was in a survivors’ camp in Dhunche with about 500 other people and will probably have to stay there for several days.

Mrs Gerhardt said: “We would like to see the British embassy putting in the resources to get them out of there. I would definitely like him to come back now.”

She said Mr Butchers’ father Mark, the former Vicar of St Peter’s Church, Wolvercote, had been informed that his son was safe.

Joe McMullen, 24, and Sophie Proffitt, 23, were also registered as missing, but both have been in touch with their families to say they are safe and well.

Sophie’s mother Nicola, a psychotherapist at the Oxford Centre for Enablement, said she and husband Colin, a teacher, received the call from her daughter at 6am on Sunday.

She said: “I’m very relieved. It took 24 hours for her to be able to contact us; I will just be pleased when she’s able to leave.”

Keen traveller Sophie had been visiting Nepal for a few weeks with friends from Oxford.

It had taken her ten to 11 months working locally in Oxford to save for the trip.

She will either return home or go on to India.

Blackbird Leys resident Hom Gurung, Trustee of the Magdalen Road Buddhist centre Thrangu House, was on the first plane out of the country after the quake.

He said: “The whole plane was shaking really badly.

“Once we found out it was an earthquake the crew asked everyone to assemble in a safe area.

“After three hours we were on the first plane to fly out, there were planes queuing to go.”

Tulasi Paudel, 52, who lives in Littlemore said he had more than 30 relatives in the capital Kathmandu, including his three older brothers, who were desperate for help.

The retired army administrative officer said: “They are still scared to go into their homes.

“No one has been hurt but the houses are damaged.

“It’s been a big shock.”

His son Rajib, 27, said: “We have got so many relatives scattered around the capital, but they can’t see each other because it’s too dangerous to walk. Everybody is suffering.”

Mr Paudel’s daughter Sushma Sapkota, runs the Gurkha Village restaurant in Kidlington with her husband Hira.

They are holding a charity meal on Sunday to try to raise more money for Nepalese Community Oxfordshire.

The 30-year-old said: “We’re devastated, not knowing what’s going on.”

Yesterday two planes, a C130 Hercules and a C17 aircraft, filled with supplies left from RAF Brize Norton.

Chartered by the Department for International Development, they took items to help cope with the crisis.

The Foreign Office said it had not received reports of any Britons being killed or injured but said embassy staff had assisted 200 people.

Cowley-based charity Oxfam is sending water and sanitation supplies after a giant earthquake in Nepal.

Nepal director Cecilia Keizer said: “Oxfam is preparing to help provide clean water and emergency food.

“People are gathered in their thousands in open spaces and are scared as there have been several aftershocks.

“The number of people killed is continuing to rise.”

To donate to Nepalese Community Oxfordshire visit justgiving.com/ncouk or text OXNP72 followed by £5 or £10 to 70072.