SWINDON Indian restaurant The Khyber provided meals to families evacuated from the Nepalese earthquake earlier this year.

More than 8,800 people were killed and 23,000 injured in the disaster, which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale, near Kathmandu on April 25 destroying homes and much of the countries' national heritage.

As part of the subsequent relief effort, the British Gurkhas Nepal with the help of the Army Welfare Service evacuated 34 families from the earthquake zone to the Services Cotswold Centre in Corsham.

On arrival the Army Welfare Service were quick to give them the vital support they needed, and the Victoria Road eaterie also leapt into the breach by providing a curry meal to the survivors.

The event then became a social occasion for the Nepalese survivors to relax and reflect on their experiences.

To say thank you, the Army Welfare Service visited the restaurant last week to present the owner, Sadik Ali, with a token of appreciation.

Huw Solly, senior community development worker with the Army Welfare Service said: "Following the recent earthquake in Nepal on April 25, 2015 and the subsequent aftershocks on April 26 and May 12, the British Gurkas Nepal evacuated 34 families from the earthquake zone to the Services Cotswolds Centre, Corsham.

"These families each came with a small suitcase of personal effects and bore the emotional toil of their experiences upon their faces. The Army Welfare Service quickly reacted to the arrival of these families and put support in place to assist the families financially, emotionally and spiritually. A highlight of this support was a curry supper kindly donated by ‘The Kyber’ Indian restaurant on Victoria Road, Swindon.

"Mr Sadik Ali, owner, supplied a wholesome meal for the families served by Army Welfare Service staff, which brought the different family groups together and facilitated a social event that allowed families to collectively reflect on their experiences.

"The Army Welfare Service and the British Gurkas Nepal would like to publicly thank Mr Sadik Ali and his team for their kind generosity. Representatives from the Army Welfare Service visited ‘The Khyber’ Indian restaurant on July 15 o present Mr Ali with a token of appreciation from the British Gurkas Nepal."