7,759 People Confirmed Dead in Nepal Earthquake

 On Saturday, April 26, 2015 shortly before noon (local time) Nepal and its bordering countries suffered a 7.8 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter just 50 miles northwest of Nepal’s capital city, Kathmandu. It was classified as a IX violent earthquake and lasted approximately 20 seconds,

 Thus far, 7,759 deaths have been confirmed, with 1,209 in Kathmandu alone; 3,000 deaths were reported in Sindupalchowk, the district of Nepal which suffered the most damage. In addition to the 7,652 deaths reported in Nepal, 78 died in India, 25 in China and 4 in Bangladesh. There were a total of 80 foreign casualties in Nepal from the countries of India, France, China, Germany, Italy, The United States, Canada, Russia, Australia, Estonia, The United Kingdom, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, New Zeland and Spain. Due to the seismic activity, Mount Everest experienced avalanches on Saturday which killed 19 people and made April 26, 2015 the most deadly day on Mt. Everest in history. Bodies of the deceased were able to be recovered by helicopters from base camps.

 A powerful aftershock occurred in the region on Sunday, which could be felt in Nepal, India and Bangladesh and led to more avalanches atop Mt. Everest. Twenty-nine districts throughout the area have been declared crisis zones and approximately 900 of the 1,000 homes in the Nepal villages of Laprak and Barpak were completely destroyed.

The Dharara Tower, a landmark which was constructed during the 19th century by rulers of Nepal, was also reduced to rubble by the earthquake, killing at least 180 people who were inside or nearby the tower when the earthquake struck. Many centuries-old building were destroyed, including several temples and churches which collapsed, killing those inside.

While rescue workers did all they could, many living and inured citizens remained trapped beneath crumbled buildings for several days. Rescue workers found survivors buried in the rubble as long as one week after the initial earthquake. Four men who were trapped beneath close to 10 feet (3 meters) of debris for several days were found alive thanks to new NASA technology known as ‘FINDER’, a heartbeat detection device. It is capable of detecting a human heartbeat through as much as 30 feet (9 meters) of rubble, 20 feet (7 meters) of concrete or 100 feet (30 meters) of open space.

  Countless have been left homeless in the wake of this natural disaster and are seeking shelter in refugee camps.

In the immediate aftermath, corpses were left lying on the street, covered by sheets, waiting to be identified or placed onto ferries traveling to hospitals in Kathmandu. Unfortunately, these hospitals struggled to keep up with both caring for the injured, and housing victims’ bodies.

Helicopters managed to retrieve injured climbers on Mount Everest that were able to make it to a base camp. Several roads paved across the base of the mountain have either cracked open or were buried in the avalanche and made routes impassable for rescue personnel. The April 2015 earthquake caused the most devastation this region has experienced since the Bihar-Nepal Earthquake in 1934 which killed 8,500 people.

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The Baby Grave Tree

A Traditional Toraja Baby Grave Tree in Indonesia.                                              Photo courtesy of Thinkoholic.com

The Toraja people of Indonesia are known around the world for their bizarre funeral rites such as Ma’nene, “The Ceremony of Cleaning Corpses”. Usually, the Toraja bury their dead in limestone cliffs in order to more easily retrieve the remains of their relatives when the time comes for them to be exhumed, groomed and paraded around their village of birth before being returned to the grave. Sometimes the bodies of children are suspended from the sides of cliffs with rope beside rows of “Tau-Tau”, life-sized wooden effigies of deceased high-status citizens. When an infant passes away before they begin teething, the baby is buried in what is known as a “Baby Grave Tree”.

 Family members will carve a hole out of the tree and place the infant’s body inside. In time, the tree will regrow around the remains, “absorbing” the body. The Toraja people believe that because the tree is living, the babies inside are alive as well. Unfortunately, this beautiful and unique funeral rite began to die out in the 1920s when many Toraja citizens converted to Christianity. Although these “Baby Grave Trees” are no longer in use, many still exist in South Sulawesi, Indonesia and serve as a reminder of the Toraja culture’s colorful past.
To learn more about the funeral rites of the Toraja culture read The Walking Dead: Indonesia
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From the same demented mind that brought you The Post-Mortem Post: FREAK

Where Are They Now? Amarjeet Sada, The World’s Youngest Serial Killer

Amarjeet Sada, World’s Youngest Serial Killer. Murdered three infants in India at the age of 8.

Amarjeet Sada (sometimes referred to as ‘Amardeep’ Sada) is the world’s youngest known serial killer, having committed three murders at the age of 8. Amarjeet was born in 1998 to an impoverished family in Begusaray, Bihar, India; His father is a laborer in the village of Musahri. In 2006 Amarjeet murdered his 6 month old cousin, the daughter of a maternal uncle. Shortly after, he murdered his own 8 month old sister. While Amarjeet’s family and some villagers were aware of the child’s involvement in these two murders, they were considered “family matters” and went unreported. In 2007 Amarjeet killed again, this time a neighbor’s 6 month old daughter named Kushboo. Kushboo’s mother, Chunchun Devi, left her daughter at the village primary school to sleep while she tended to her chores. When she returned, her daughter was gone. Villagers who knew of Amarjeet’s past murders confronted him regarding Kushboo’s disappearance. Amarjeet, seemingly proud of his actions, happily recounted the gory tale of how he killed the infant. He then led villagers to the shallow grave he had dug for Kushboo. Amarjeet told police, “Khapda de mar mar ke sura deliyay” meaning “I killed by beating her with a brick”. He told police he had laid her down in the grass before beginning to smash her face with a brick, then covered the body in grass and leaves before returning to his home. Reportedly, all three murders were conducted in this manner. It is believed he also strangled his two previous victims, which may have been the cause of death prior to beating with a brick. Unfortunately, because his first two murders went unreported and there was no official investigation into them, details remain unclear. Police say, “He [Amarjeet] said he took the children to the fields and hit them with a stone and killed them. He has been charged with the murder [of Kushboo Devi].” Amarjeet was arrested on May 30, 2007 and “spoke little but smiled a lot” when asked about the murders. While being further questioned he, “Just smiled a lot and asked for biscuits.”

 Superintendent Amit Lodha, a resident of Begusarai (90 miles/145 kilometers east of Bihari, the capital of Patna) said Amarjeet Sada appeared to be a psychiatric case. He was evaluated by professionals and found to be suffering from a conduct disorder. Panta-based psychoanalyst Shamshad Hussain found that this conduct disorder causes Amardeep to behave in a sadistic manner. Due to a severe chemical imbalance in Sada’s brain, he receives a sense of gratification from inflicting injuries on others. A psychologist working on his case explained, “such aggression may be hereditary and may be caused because of great chemical upheavals in the brain.”. According to a former psychology professor at Patna University, Sada did not have a sense of right or wrong when he committed the murders due to his conduct disorder. It is believed with medication, levels of chemicals in his brain can be balanced. Ultimately, the boy was charged with murder and tried as a juvenile. Sada’s story lost steam for most of the world after that point so there is not much information available on what became of him. Although Amarjeet’s current status is “unknown”, we can assume from his graphic and proud confession, he was eventually charged with the murder. Since the boy was tried as a juvenile, in accordance to Indian law, he could not have been imprisoned any longer than three years. Due to his mental state at the time the crimes took place, it is possible he served his sentence in a psychiatric institute in lieu of a juvenile detention center. After his sentence had been served, it is also possible that his parents chose to keep him in a mental health facility; However, considering they did not seek mental health for him after either of the first two murders, it is unlikely he received more therapy than was required. Amarjeet Sada would be approximately 17 years old now (no exact date of birth available, only birth year) and more likely than not, a free young man. There are rumors he may have changed his name to ‘Samarjit’, which is common when young children commit a horrendous crime and are later rehabilitated. Hopefully Amarjeet Sada has been, and will continue to be able to manage his conduct disorder through therapy and medication and live a new life under a new name, scrutiny-free.
UPDATE: After writing this article I was contacted by Amarjeet Sada who claims he is currently living in a children’s home in India where he will remain until he is 18 years of age. No other details at this time.
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