DURHAM, N.C. -- The earthquake in China has hit home for many Duke students and local Asian-Americans.

On Tuesday night, the Duke Chinese Students and the Scholar Association held a candlelight vigil. It was a refuge for those who can only watch and wait to hear from family and friends in the devastated area.

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"Some of my friends [were] very close to the earth[quake] center," said Man Wu. Wu's husband works at Duke. "I cannot still contact them," she said.

Xiao Yun had a more difficult situation.

"My friends' friend lost her life," she said. "So it's very sad."

The 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit southwestern China Monday. A Chinese news agency reports that almost 10,000 people died from the quake, and the death toll is expected to rise.

For many of the attendees of the vigil, being thousands of miles away from China left them feeling helpless. They say phone service is sporadic, and that makes them worry about their friends.

"I feel very sad, but I still believe our county, our government, our people will be fine," Wu said.

There was a five-minute moment of silence at the candlelight vigil. Organizers also displayed images from the disaster. It was a chance for many of the attendees to connect with their home.

"Wherever we are, oversees, we still care about our people," Wu said.

It's the summer season at Duke, and that means Duke's campus is missing about 7,000 undergraduate students, according to staff. But about 100 participants showed up at the vigil, and they raised about $6,000.

Duke officials say they're willing to do what it takes to help students and community members through the upcoming rough times, as family and friends learn of lost loved ones. Officials say that when they heard about the disaster, they checked in with Duke students in the area, and then focused on home to give locals the opportunity to mourn.

In addition, many local Chinese community organizations have joined together to raise money to help those in need.

Across the Triangle, those who are physically far but who have close ties to China want to reach out.

Daling Wen is the President of the Triangle's Chinese American Frienship Association, or CAFA, a 2,000-member group.

• Chinese American Friendship Association in the Triangle Area (CAFA)
• China Star
• CAST-NC
• Duke Chinese Student and Scholar Association
• Friendship Association of Chinese Students and Scholars at UNC Chapel Hill
• Chinese Student and Scholar Friendship Association at NC State University
• Cary Chinese School (CCS) 
• Chinese School at Chapel Hill (CSCH)
• Raleigh Academy of Chinese Language (RACL)
• Triangle Area Chinese American Society (TACAS)
• NC China Center
• RTP Sichuan Club