Prakash Mathema, AFP/Getty ImagesPeople clear rubble in Kathmandu's Durbar Square, which was severely damaged by a massive earthquake April 25, 2015. The 7.8-magnitude quake killed hundreds as it ripped through large parts of Nepal and triggered a deadly avalanche that hit Everest base camp.
AFP/Getty ImagesVolunteers pack relief material into cartons at the Nepal Embassy in New Delhi, India, on May 1, 2015.
Prakash Mathema, AFP/Getty ImagesNepalese residents walk past road damage after an earthquake in Kathmandu on April 26, 2015.
Manish Swarup / APHouses on the higher reaches of mountains destroyed in Saturday's earthquake are seen from a helicopter near Dhadingbesti, in Nepal, Wednesday, April 29, 2015.
Omar Havana, Getty ImagesAn injured survivor of the Nepalese earthquake in the National Trauma Center in Kathmandu on April 27, 2015.
Manish Swarup, APNepalese police look for survivors in the debris of a building that collapsed in an earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 26, 2015.
AFP/Getty ImagesHouses damaged by the earthquake are pictured in a remote village near Charikot, in the Dholka district of Nepal.
Manish Swarup, APIndia's National Disaster Response Force personnel look for survivors in a building, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 26, 2015.
Niranjan Shrestha / Associated PressInjured people are treated outside a Katmandu hospital.
Bikram Rai, APIndia National Disaster Response Force personnel look for survivors in the debris of the earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 26, 2015.
Prakash Mathema, AFP/Getty ImagesNepal residents carry their belongings along a road after spending the night outdoors in Kathmandu on April 27, 2015, two days after an earthquake hit Nepal.
Niranjan Shrestha, APA rescue team with a sniffer dog inspects the site of destruction caused by Saturday's earthquake in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 27, 2015.
Niranjan Shrestha / APNepalese people line up to board buses go to their villages in Kathmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, April 29, 2015.
Andrew Theodorakis, Getty ImagesMourners light candles in Diversity Square during a vigil for the victims of the earthquake in Nepal on April 26, 2015, in the Jackson Heights section of Queens in New York.
Prakash Singh, AFP/Getty ImagesEarthquake-damaged roads on the outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 26, 2015.
Narendra Shrestha / European Pressphoto AgencyPeople search for survivors in the rubble of a Katmandu building.
Omar Havana, Getty ImagesVolunteers and rescue team members clear debris from around a collapsed temple at Basantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 27, 2015.
Manish Swarup / APA Nepalese child injured in Saturday's earthquake is taken on a stretcher after being evacuated from higher reaches of mountains by Nepalese army soldiers, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, April 29, 2015.
Niranjan Shrestha, APRescue workers sift through debris in a search for victims of the earthquake in Bhaktapur, near Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 26, 2015.
Omar Havana, Getty ImagesA Kathmandu resident passes in front of a collapsed temple at Basantapur Durbar Square in Nepal after a massive earthquake hit April 25, 2015.
Niranjan Shrestha / Associated PressNepalese people huddle outside a Katmandu hospital after the quake.
Bishwo Ghimire, APDamaged houses in Paslang village in the Gorkha municipality of Nepal on April 27, 2015, in a World Vision photo. The buildings were hit by the April 25 earthquake.
Niranjan Shrestha / Associated PressVolunteers remove debris at the historic Dharahara Tower, a Katmandu landmark, after the Nepal quake.
Prakash Mathema, AFP/Getty ImagesPeople gather near temporary shelters set up in Kathmandu on April 27, 2015, two days after an earthquake of 7.8 magnitude hit Nepal.
Bikram Rai, APHealth officials examine an infant a day after a massive earthquake devastated the region and destroyed homes and infrastructure, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 26, 2015.
NIcolas Asfouri, AFP/Getty ImagesFrench rescue workers amid earthquake debris in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 28, 2015.
Bernat Armangue, APPeople retrieve items April 27, 2015, from a house damaged in the earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal,
Sunil Sharma, Xinhua/Zuma PressRescuers try to remove debris from a temple at Hanumandhoka palace after a massive earthquake hit Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 25, 2015.
Pratap Thapa, Xinhua/Zuma PressPeople gather with supplies near damaged buildings in Kathmandu, Nepal, after the earthquake April 25, 2015.
Lindsey Wasson, APDeepa Shrestha attends a prayer service at the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center in Bothell, Wash., on April 26, 2015.
Sajjad Hussain, AFP/Getty ImagesNepalese villagers injured in an earthquake inside an Indian army helicopter after being evacuated from Lapu in the Gorkha District on April 28, 2015.
PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP/Getty ImagesCollapsed houses in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, are seen on April 27, 2015, two days after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal.
Niranjan Shrestha, APA Nepalese man walks through destruction caused by Saturday's earthquake, in Bhaktapur, Nepal, on April 26, 2015.
Narendra Shrestha / European Pressphoto AgencyPeople search for survivors in the rubble of a Katmandu building.
Ashwini Bhatia, APTibetans living in exile and supporters hold photographs showing the devastation in Nepal during a candlelight vigil in Dharmsala, India, on April 26, 2015.
Liu Dongjun, Xinhua/Zuma PressA soldier helps a child evacuate in Gyirong County in Xigaze, Tibet, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Nepal on April 25, 2015.
Zhou Shengping, APCollapsed buildings are seen at the Durbar Square after a poweful earthquake, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 25, 2015.
Prakash Mathema, AFP/Getty ImagesA Nepalese man and woman hold each other in Kathmandu's Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage site severely damaged by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake April 25, 2015.
AFP/Getty ImagesThai students hold candles during a memorial for the victims of the earthquake in Nepal at Thammasat University in Bangkok on May 1, 2015.
Omar Havana, Getty ImagesRescue workers clear debris in Durbar Square while searching for earthquake survivors in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 25, 2015.
Altaf Qadri, APNepalese victims of the earthquake inside an Indian air force helicopter as they are evacuated from Trishuli Bazar to Kathmandu airport in Nepal on April 27, 2015.
David Ramos, Getty ImagesA man stands among debris of a collapsed building May 2, 2015, in Sankhu, Nepal.
Bernat Armangue, APA man offers prayers to Bhairav, a Hindu god, at Basantapur Durbar Square in Nepal on April 26, 2015. Much of area was damaged in the earthquake.
Sajjad Hussain, AFP/Getty ImagesDamaged houses in Gorkha, Nepal, are seen from an Indian army helicopter April 28, 2015.
Bernat Armangue, APA Hindu man breaks down during a funeral for Saturday's earthquake victims in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 26, 2015.
Andrew Theodorakis, Getty ImagesMourners light candles in New York's Diversity Square during a vigil on April 26, 2015, for victims of the Nepal earthquake.
Anupam Nath, APIndian students light candles in tribute to victims of Nepal's earthquake, in Gauhati, India, on April 26, 2015.
Altaf Qadri, APNepalese volunteers unload relief material brought in by an Indian air force helicopter for victims of the earthquake at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal on April 27, 2015.
Omar Havana, Getty ImagesA victim is pulled from the debris of the Dharahara Tower after it collapsed in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 25, 2015. Hundreds have died as tremors hit Nepal after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake caused devastating damage and triggered avalanches in the Himalayas.
NIcolas Asfouri, AFP/Getty ImagesA French firefighter with a rescue dog looks for earthquake survivors among debris in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu on April 28, 2015.
Nancy Stone, baiduhaiAt Dulhan's, The Bridal Boutique at the corner of Devon and Talman Avenues in Chicago, a handmade sign in the window April 26, 2015, expresses the owner's sadness about the recent earthquake.
Altaf Qadri, APNepalese villagers watch as an Indian air force helicopter prepares to land at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal, on April 27, 2015.
Altaf Qadri, APA child injured in Saturday's earthquake is carried by a Nepalese soldier after being evacuated April 27, 2015.
Narendra Shrestha / European Pressphoto AgencyPeople free a man from the rubble of a Katmandu building.
Pratap Thapa, Xinhua/Zuma PressA 7.8-magnitude earthquake caused massive damage in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 25, 2015.
Pratap Thapa / Xinhua News AgencyPeople gather beside damaged buildings after an earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 25, 2015. A strong earthquake shook Nepal's capital and the densely populated Kathmandu Valley before noon Saturday, causing extensive damage and killing hundreds, officials said.
Prakash Mathema, AFP/Getty ImagesNepal residents mourn the death of a relative following an earthquake at a mass cremation ceremony in Kathmandu on April 26, 2015.
Niranjan Shrestha / Associated PressPeople gather in the street after the quake hit Katmandu.
Niranjan Shrestha, APA Nepalese man cries as he walks through the earthquake debris in Bhaktapur, near Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 26, 2015.
Altaf Qadri, APResidential buildings damaged by the earthquake at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal on April 27, 2015.
Omar Havana, Getty ImagesA taxi is buried under debris from a collapsed building in Thamel after a powerful earthquake hit April 25, 2015, in Nepal.
Bernat Armangue, APA hotel guest sleeps in the lobby of Annapurna Hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 27, 2015.
Niranjan Shrestha, APVolunteers work to remove debris at the historic Dharahara Tower after a massive earthquake hit Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 25, 2015.
Nima Namgyal Sherpa, APA rescue chopper lands at an elevated camp on Mount Everest in Nepal on April 27, 2015.
Niranjan Shrestha, APA woman cries as her son remains trapped in the debris of a building that collapsed after a powerful earthquake hit Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 25, 2015.
Wally Santana / APRamaya pleads for food after an aid relief helicopter lands at the remote mountain village of Gumda, near the epicenter of Saturday's massive earthquake in the Gorkha District of Nepal.
Diptendu Dutta, AFP/Getty ImagesAn injured woman receives treatment at Siliguri Hospital after a powerful earthquake hit Nepal, causing massive damage and strong tremors to be felt across neighboring countries on April 25, 2015.
Zhou Shengping / Xinhua News AgencyRubble from a collapsed building litters a street in Katmandu after the Nepal quake.
NIcolas Asfouri, AFP/Getty ImagesA member of the Nepalese security forces walks among earthquake debris in the capital of Kathmandu on April 28, 2015.
Prakash Mathema, AFP/Getty ImagesPeople clear rubble as they search for survivors in Kathmandu's Durbar Square, after a massive earthquake hit Nepal on April 25, 2015.
Tashi Sherpa, APNepalese residents set up tents in an open field at Chuchepati area in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 26, 2015.
Omar Havana, Getty ImagesVolunteers and emergency workers search for bodies buried under debris of the temples at Basantapur Durbar Square on April 27, 2015, in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Azim Afif, APA helicopter lands at a Mount Everest base camp on a rescue mission April, 27, 2015.
Niranjan Shrestha, APPeople rest on debris at Durbar Square after a massive earthquake hit Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 25, 2015.
Menahem Kahana, AFP/Getty ImagesA man walks through the rubble of buildings in Bhaktapur on April 28, 2015. The village on the outskirts of Kathmandu was hard hit in the Nepal earthquake.
Menahem Kahana, AFP/Getty ImagesNepalese residents amid the rubble in an earthquake-damaged area of Bhaktapur on the outskirts of Kathmandu on April 28, 2015.
AFP/Getty ImagesTwo police officers walk on a damaged road as an aftershock strikes Nyalam County in Xigaze in southwest China's Tibet region on April 26, 2015.
Niranjan Shrestha / APNepalese people line up to board buses go to their villages in Kathmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, April 29, 2015. Thousands of people are lining up at bus stations in Kathmandu where the government is providing free transportation for people hoping to travel to their hometowns and villages.
Wally Santana, APTents are seen from an airplane window in an open field next to Tribhuwan International Airport on April 26, 2015, a day after a massive earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Omar Havana, Getty ImagesRescue team members search for bodies in the rubble of a collapsed temple at Basantapur Durbar Square on April 27, 2015, in Nepal.
Omar Havana, Getty ImagesRescue workers carry a victim on a stretcher after the Dharahara Tower in Kathmandu collapsed April 25, 2015, when a massive earthquake hit Nepal.
Prakash Mathema, AFP/Getty ImagesPeople clear the rubble April 25, 2015, in Durbar Square, which was severely damaged by a massive earthquake that struck Nepal.
Wally Santana, APBuildings lean precariously in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 27, 2015.
Shreejan Bhandari, APBasantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 27, 2015.
Bernat Armangue, APA Hindu Nepalese woman offers prayers at the Indrayani temple that was damaged in Saturday's earthquake, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 27, 2015.
Niranjan Shrestha, APU.S. soldiers unload equipment from a Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 3, 2015. The plane brought in rescue helicopters to fly materials and medicine to remote villages affected by the April 25 earthquake.
Bernat Armangue, APPeople walk past a house with one side of its walls destroyed by the earthquake on the outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 29, 2015.
Niranjan Shrestha, APPemba Tamang, 15, is taken on a stretcher after being rescued April 30, 2015, from the collapsed Hilton Hotel, five days after a major earthquake, in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Manish Swarup / APAn Indian Army doctor helps an injured woman drink water after she was evacuated from higher reaches of mountains by Nepalese army, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, April 29, 2015.
Sajjad Hussain, AFP/Getty ImagesParagliders on a hill above Pokhara Lake on April 27, 2015, following the earthquake that rocked the Himalayan nation April 25.
Narendra Shrestha / European Pressphoto AgencyMen carry an injured person down a Katmandu street after the earthquake.
Pratap Thapa, Xinhua/Zuma PressPeople embrace after a massive earthquake rocked Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 25, 2015.
Prakash Mathema, AFP/Getty Images
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People clear rubble in Kathmandu's Durbar Square, which was severely damaged by a massive earthquake April 25, 2015. The 7.8-magnitude quake killed hundreds as it ripped through large parts of Nepal and triggered a deadly avalanche that hit Everest base camp.
ExpandBy Mark Caro | baiduhai
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:
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The Chicago family of a 64-year-old Chicago Fire Department retiree set to climb Mount Everest was happy to hear that he was unhurt following the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal on Saturday.
Ramona Stirbu said her uncle Viorel “Wally” Stirbu told her Monday afternoon that he was having lunch in base camp when the earthquake hit.
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“They went outside to see what was going on, and they could see dust and rocks and big stones and snow coming,” Ramona Stirbu said. “He said it was like a tsunami. They went back into the tent to avoid the dust. Then they went out to see what happened and what damage was done.”
The avalanche, she said, “was far away from their camp, so they were not really in danger.”
A State Department spokesman said Monday that at least four Americans have died in Nepal’s earthquake, all at Mount Everest base camp.
Ramona Stirbu said her uncle subsequently flew to Kathmandu by helicopter and is awaiting an available flight to return to Chicago.
“He’s OK,” Vasile Stirbu, the climber’s brother, said Monday. “He’s great now. Nothing wrong.”
Wally Stirbu, a member of the Lincoln Park Boat Club, planned to climb Mount Everest to complete the Seven Summits Challenge, which involves climbing each continent’s highest peak. My Chicago Athlete Magazine reported in February that Stirbu had begun the challenge in 2012 and most recently had returned from scaling Mount Vinson in Antarctica.
Twitter @MarkCaro