SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The number of people dead in Nepal now stands at more than 4,400 after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that devastated the country.
The head of Nepal's disease control department says he fears a major health crisis among the survivors of Saturday's earthquake. Thousands are living in tents with no access to clean water and the shaking hasn't stopped, smaller aftershocks are expected to continue for a month.
Throughout the Bay Area, members of the Nepalese community gathered Monday night to grieve, pray and raise money for relief efforts.
READ MORE: How you can help Nepal quake victims
There are thousands of families with ties to Nepal that live around the Bay Area. Some told ABC7 News they're still in shock and they know their homeland will never be the same.
Grishma Amatya was on the phone with her mother in Nepal when the earthquake tore through her childhood village. She said, "The line cut off. After that, I was really horrified. I could not get a hold of her for almost two hours."
Her mom survived. Amatya had pictures show what little of the neighborhood is left. She said, "It's really heartbreaking."
PHOTOS: Inside the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake
Monday night, Amatya joined the Nepalese Youth Organization vigil at the El Cerrito BART Station. A similar moment of silence was held at a restaurant in San Francisco. Dozens of Bay Area Nepalese leaders gathered to coordinate fundraising and relief efforts.
"Whatever we can collect to send them, that's the reason we are here today," Uttam Karki from the Nepalese Association of Northern California said.
He says 20,000 Nepalese live in Northern California.
Rashmi Tuladhar moved from Nepal to Alameda in 2004. She told ABC7 News, "It didn't hit me until I watched the news and all the places I grew up, was all in dust. We tried to contact everybody in our family. We couldn't get a hold of anyone."
The anxiety is also felt by a group we spoke to in Richmond.
Kami Sherpa climbed Mt. Everest six times. His friends witnessed the base camp destruction. Sherpa said, "They said it was like big disaster, they can't even see what happened over there."
As search crews continue to sift through rubble, the Bay Area Nepalese community shared their grief and their commitment to help heal their homeland.
Click here to find out how you can help the victims in Nepal, and click here for full coverage on the devastating quake.