Members of the Nepalese-Canadian community suffered through some anxious moments Saturday, as they attempted to reach loved ones in Nepal following a deadly 7.8 magnitude earthquake.

"None of the phones were working actually and we thought what happened, actually?” said Puroshottam Singh, president of the Nepali Cultural Society of Manitoba. “And after some time we got a call from the other side."

Singh’s immediate family escaped serious harm, but others were not so fortunate.

The quake has already claimed more than a thousand lives, with the death toll expected to rise even higher as search crews frantically dig through the rubble looking for survivors.

"People are doing it with their hands actually, they are trying to remove the boulders and rubble and all these things,” said Singh.

As night fell in the capital of Kathmandu, thousands of survivors huddled in the streets, unable to return to homes damaged or destroyed by the quake and its powerful aftershocks.

Seeing the images on TV left Nepalese-Canadians feeling helpless, even as they vowed to mobilize relief efforts.

"We need the Canadian support and we need the help of other communities and organizations around the world,” said Tika Adhikari in south Winnipeg. “If they can chip in, in whatever way they can, that would be really appreciated."

In the meantime, the Canadian Red Cross has already set up a disaster assistance fund with incoming donations earmarked for the Nepal Red Cross.

"They are able then to support victims of the earthquake with food, emergency clothing, they also have search and rescue teams and first aid providers on the ground,” said Cailin Hodder with the Canadian Red Cross in Manitoba.

For more information on Red Cross efforts, visit redcross.ca.