Around a hundred patrons packed a bar in Central on Monday night to raise funds for victims of catastrophic flash floods and mudslides in Nepal, as members of Hong Kong’s Nepalese community rallied to support relief efforts for their homeland.
The death toll in Nepal had risen to 919 as of 1pm on Monday, with 4,247 people still missing, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The disaster struck on Wednesday when a massive wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river along the Himalayan border between Nepal and Tibet, unleashing devastating torrents downstream.
At cocktail bar Orchard in Central, the fundraising event kicked off at 7pm on Monday in a collaboration between its Nepalese founder and fellow operators and workers from three other venues, who teamed up to craft signature drinks dedicated to their homeland.
Hong Kong is home to a Nepalese community of roughly 30,000.
Among the patrons was Shreya Rai, a 27-year-old Nepalese public relations professional who was born and raised in Hong Kong. Joining two friends at the bar, she described the fundraiser as a meaningful cause close to her heart.