For the second night in a row, family members of Lawrence resident Subarna Bhattachan slept outside in Kathmandu following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Nepal on Saturday.

The earthquake has left at least 2,500 people dead, and its frequent aftershocks, some reaching magnitudes as high as 6.7, have many fearful of sleeping indoors. Bhattachan, who moved to the United States for college, has lived in Lawrence since 1993 and is co-owner of three downtown restaurants: La Parrilla, Zen Zero and Genovese.

At 4 a.m. Saturday morning, Bhattachan got a call from a relative in western Nepal telling him of the earthquake. Bhattachan said he spent the next two hours in a quasi panic, trying to make contact by whatever means he could with his family in Kathmandu.

“I had my laptop, cellphone and everything on trying to get a hold of people,” he said.

Once he got in touch with his family and found that they were safe, relief finally came.

“We were all really happy to hear their voices and that they were doing OK and had not gotten hurt,” he said.

But Bhattachan said the many aftershocks are wearing down his relatives’ nerves. Because of damaged structures and fear of sleeping indoors, mass campsites have sprung up in open areas of the city, he explained.

People in his sister’s neighborhood, where there is still water but electricity is sporadic, are getting together at campsites and helping each other out, he said.

“My sister said she has about 30 or 40 people in her front yard,” Bhattachan said.

Madan Neupane, a Kansas University graduate student and president of the KU Nepalese Student Association, said his family also has reported a tense mood because of the aftershocks.

“The condition is scary,” Neupane said. “People are feeling panic.”

Kathmandu residents are sleeping outside in the rain, some without tents, Neupane added. His relatives have told him that stores are closed because of lack of electricity or fear of looting, which is causing food shortages.

Despite the devastation, Neupane’s family also said people are working together, helping rescue teams dig out the dead and injured from the rubble by removing bricks and chunks of concrete.

KU graduate student Jagaran Acharya, secretary of NSA, has had more trouble communicating with his family back in Nepal. Acharya said he was able to reach relatives by phone, but the connection was very poor.

“I can hear their voice, but they cannot hear me properly,” he told the Journal-World on Sunday.

But over the poor connection came stories similar to those of others: nights spent in open fields amid panic, rain and little food.

“People are so worried and scared,” Acharya said.

Like their relatives back in Nepal, those affected by the earthquake are also coming together in Lawrence. Members of the Nepalese Student Association met Sunday evening to organize a fundraising program. NSA members will be accepting donations at two locations on campus throughout the day on Monday, Neupane said. Details are available on the group’s Facebook page.

Bhattachan, in addition to personal donations, is planning to host disaster relief fundraising events at his three downtown restaurants, such as dinners and wine tastings. Bhattachan said he still is looking into what resources are most vital for the earthquake victims.

“We’re working to hear what the needs are and find appropriate organizations,” he said.