The tiny gap between life and death: Entombed alive with the body of his friend, Nepal earthquake victim is finally pulled free as death toll rises to 2,500

  • WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT
  • The earthquake survivor was pulled from rubble of his home in Swyambhu in the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday 
  • He had been stuck with the lifeless body of his friend after the building they were in collapsed around them 
  • In the Nepalese capital city of Kathmandu the bodies of hundreds killed have been laid out in the street   
  • Rescue teams are frantically using their hands to dig out survivors as aid relief from neighbouring India arrives
  • As many as 18 climbers on Mount Everest were killed when base camp was swallowed by avalanche on Saturday 
  • More bodies are being pulled from destruction in cities 'by the hour' as the death toll continues to rise  

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Weeping with relief, a survivor of the Nepalese earthquake is pulled from what remains of his ruined home after spending the night buried alive. 

Among the debris which entombed him for 24 hours is a lifeless body, one of more than 2,500 across the Himalayas in the wake of the escalating disaster. 

The corpse is that of the man's friend - the last person he spoke to before disaster struck his home in Swyambhu in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Cheek-to-cheek, they were both pulled from the rubble on Sunday, a day after the 7.8 earthquake wreaked havoc across Nepal.

In the capital city, the bodies of those buried alive have been laid in the street beneath white sheets. Their grieving relatives have prepared them for cremation, setting up make-shift funeral pyres in the city's open spaces.  

Hundreds are still missing, chief among them climbers stranded on Mount Everest after an avalanche triggered by the tremor buried its base camp on Saturday afternoon. 

Appealing to the international community, survivors begged for blood and care packages to sustain the remaining population as surgeons began operating on the wounded in tents, their theatres destroyed in the quake.

Scroll down for video 

The man is pulled from the ruins as his friend lies lifeless next to him in Swyambhu in the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday morning. The pair were trapped after yesterday's earthquake which has so far claimed 2,500 lives 

The man is pulled from the ruins as his friend lies lifeless next to him in Swyambhu in the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday morning. The pair were trapped after yesterday's earthquake which has so far claimed 2,500 lives 

A huge rescue effort was mounted after the 7.1 magnitude earthquake: The survivor finally wriggles free after becoming trapped with the body of his friend

The survivor finally wriggles free after becoming trapped with the body of his friend, one of the thousands killed in by the earthquake which is the worst the country has seen for 81 years

The death toll from Nepal's earthquake has risen to 2,500 after a devastating 6.7-magnitude aftershock sparked further chaos across Kathmandu and triggered a second violent avalanche on Mount Everest

Rescue workers remove debris as they search for victims of the earthquake in the city of Bhaktapur (pictured above) found in the east of the Kathmandu Valley

The bodies of the victims are laid out in line outside a hospital in the city of Kathmandu in the wake of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that his the area on Saturday morning

The bodies of the victims are laid out in line outside a hospital in the city of Kathmandu in the wake of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that his the area on Saturday morning

Grieving women hold the hands of relatives as they lie beneath a thin white sheet in the city of Kathmandu in April

Grieving women hold the hands of relatives as they lie beneath a thin white sheet in the city of Kathmandu. Makeshift funeral pyres are being set up across the city

The bodies of some of the thousands who have died in the disaster were laid outside the emergency ward at Bir Hospital in the Nepalese capital

The bodies of some of the thousands who have died in the disaster were laid outside the emergency ward at Bir Hospital in the Nepalese capital

In Bhaktapur, flowers and money are left on the body of one of the earthquake's victims outside one of the city's overrun hospitals 

In Bhaktapur, flowers and money are left on the body of one of the earthquake's victims outside one of the city's overrun hospitals 

Health workers have resorted to placing numbers by the bodies of earthquake victims outside the overcrowded hospitals in Kathmandu 

Health workers have resorted to placing numbers by the bodies of earthquake victims outside the overcrowded hospitals in Kathmandu 

Mourners begin preparing a funeral pyre in a public park in the city of Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley, as the bodies of those killed in the earthquake pile up 

Mourners begin preparing a funeral pyre in a public park in the city of Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley, as the bodies of those killed in the earthquake pile up 

Nepalese policemen finally reach a woman trapped under rubble after digging for nine hours. Tragically, she died waiting to be freed from the ruins in Kathmandu 

Nepalese policemen finally reach a woman trapped under rubble after digging for nine hours. Tragically, she died waiting to be freed from the ruins in Kathmandu 

The United States Geological Survey said the quake struck 81 kilometres (50 miles) northwest of Kathmandu at 06.11 GMT, with walls crumbling and families racing outside of their homes

Rescuers said the situation was likely to worsen with scores more bodies discovered every hour across the country.

'Tragically, more bodies are being pulled from collapsed buildings every hour. Communication is down in many areas. Widespread destruction, rubble and landslides are preventing access to provide aid in many villages,' an Australian Red Cross statement said.

Some of the most remote mountain villages could be completely buried in rubble, where rockfall may have claimed the lives of hundreds, if not more. 

'Villages like this are routinely affected by landslides, and it's not uncommon for entire villages of 200, 300, up to 1,000 people to be completely buried by rock falls,' said Matt Darvas, a member of the aid group World Vision. 'It will likely be helicopter access only,' he added.

Meanwhile officials fear hospitals may begin running out of crucial supplies at any moment. Trauma surgeons have begun operating on the critically wounded in tents after losing their theatres to the devastation. 

'We only have one operation theatre here. To be able to provide immediate treatment we require 15. I am just not able to cope,' said Dipendra Pandey, an orthopaedic surgeon at the National Trauma Centre.   

A lack of electricity would soon be complicated by a scarcity of water, aid groups said, with medical supplies also dwindling, while Oxfam told AFP morgues were reaching capacity.

A REGION DEVASTATED 

2,460 people have died in Nepal alone

1,152 of these people were in the capital Kathmandu 

61 were killed in India and neighbouring countries 

18 people feared dead after becoming buried by an avalanche on Mount Everest  

Millions of pounds has been pledged by charities and governments the world over. British, German and French volunteers are among aid workers on their way to help with the crisis. 

Too frightened to take shelter in doors in the fear that more buildings may collapse, survivors have set up makeshift camps in parks and open spaces. 

'Thousands of people have to stay outside of their homes, which have been damaged or destroyed by the earthquake. Shelter assistance is urgently needed,' said Save the Children's Peter Olyle, who is based in Kathmandu where 1,152 people are confirmed dead.

Charity Medecins sans Frontieres was struggling to get relief supplies including thousands of blankets and shelter in from India's northern state of Bihar - also hit by Saturday's quake - because landslides had made roads difficult to navigate. So far 61 people are believed to have been killed in India.

India flew in medical supplies and relief crews, while China sent in a 60-strong emergency team. Relief agencies said hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley were overflowing and running out of medical supplies.

A US disaster response team was en route and an initial $1million in aid to address immediate needs had been authorised, the US Agency for International Development said.

Australia and New Zealand together pledged more than $4.5million, and said they were working to locate hundreds of their citizens believed to be in Nepal, and South Korea promised $1million in humanitarian aid.

In the capital, hospital workers stretchered patients out onto the street to treat them as it was too dangerous to keep them indoors. The aftershock rocked buildings in the Indian capital New Delhi and halted the city metro.

Some buildings in Kathmandu toppled like houses of cards, others leaned at precarious angles, and partial collapses exposed living rooms and furniture in place and belongings stacked on shelves.

Suresh Parihar plays with his 8-month-old daughter Sandhaya as he is treated for injuries sustained in an earthquake at a city hospital in the city of Kathmandu

Suresh Parihar plays with his 8-month-old daughter Sandhaya as he is treated for injuries sustained in an earthquake at a city hospital in the city of Kathmandu

Health workers examine a tiny baby wrapped in blankets in the city of Kathmandu where hospitals have spilled out onto the devastated streets

Health workers examine a tiny baby wrapped in blankets in the city of Kathmandu where hospitals have spilled out onto the devastated streets

A man weeps for his sister as she is cremated on the banks of the Bagmati river
Another mourner is unable to contain her grief

A man grieves for his sister as she is cremated in a funeral pyre at the Pashupatinath temple, on the banks of the Bagmati river, in Kathmandu. Right, another mourner is unable to contain her sorrow 

Two female survivors sit outside ruined homes in Bhaktapur with injuries sustained in the disaster. At least 2,460 people have died in Nepal 

Two female survivors sit outside ruined homes in Bhaktapur with injuries sustained in the disaster. At least 2,460 people have died in Nepal 

Thousands of people were forced out of their homes immediately after the disaster and set up in the town's squares and open spaces

Thousands of people have set up in the town's squares and open spaces though aid workers fear water and medical supplies will run out. Residents are frightened to return to their homes for fear that an aftershock may cause further devastation 

A sea of tents is seen in the Chuchepati area of the Kathmandu Valley after residents fled what remained of their homes to set up camp outside

A sea of tents is seen in the Chuchepati area of the Kathmandu Valley after residents fled what remained of their homes to set up camp outside

In Kathmandu, a police officer tries to hold order over crowds of desperate survivors as he gives out emergency tents to the homeless 

In Kathmandu, a police officer tries to hold order over crowds of desperate survivors as he gives out emergency tents to the homeless 

Hundreds queue for a tent in the hope of being given a roof for the night after fleeing what remains of their homes in case they collapse 

Hundreds queue for a tent in the hope of being given a roof for the night after fleeing what remains of their homes in case they collapse 

Rescue teams search through the ruins for survivors after one side of a building collapsed in central Kathmandu 

Rescue teams search through the ruins for survivors after one side of a building collapsed in central Kathmandu 

A near-empty road on the outskirts of Kathmandu is divided by a crack caused when the earthquake struck. Cyclists and motorists are the few to brave travelling on it the day after the disaster 

A near-empty road on the outskirts of Kathmandu is divided by a crack caused when the earthquake struck. Cyclists and motorists are the few to brave travelling on it the day after the disaster 

Men stand cautiously on sections of collapsed road after yesterday's earthquake in Kathmandu as officials confirm at least 2,500 have died 

Men stand cautiously on sections of collapsed road after yesterday's earthquake in Kathmandu as officials confirm at least 2,500 have died 

A man walks through the ruins of one of the city's famous temples at Durbar Square in Patan as the city reels from the devastating earthquake

A man walks through the ruins of one of the city's famous temples at Durbar Square in Patan as the city reels from the devastating earthquake

Men dig through the debris of ruined homes in Bhaktapur as survivors continue to look for bodies in the rubble after yesterday's quake 

Men dig through the debris of ruined homes in Bhaktapur as survivors continue to look for bodies in the rubble after yesterday's quake 

A man surveys the destruction at his home in Bhaktapur, a historic city in the east of the Kathmandu valley where hundreds of homes were destroyed 

A man surveys the destruction at his home in Bhaktapur, a historic city in the east of the Kathmandu valley where hundreds of homes were destroyed 

A young girl takes pots and pans out from her ruined home in Bhaktapur on the outskirts of Kathmandu as thousands flee their houses to set up camp outdoors 

A young girl takes pots and pans out from her ruined home in Bhaktapur on the outskirts of Kathmandu as thousands flee their houses to set up camp outdoors 

An elderly woman is accompanied through the street in the Bhaktapur after undergoing treatment for a head injury at one of its remaining hospitals 

An elderly woman is accompanied through the street in the Bhaktapur after undergoing treatment for a head injury at one of its remaining hospitals 

In Bhaktapur, a man wept as he was pulled away from the site where his house once stood after the quake

In Bhaktapur, a man weeps as he is pulled away from the site where his house once stood. The Kathmandu Valley is densely populated, with thousands living in close conditions 

Aid workers use their hands to dig bricks from piles of rubble in Bhaktapur as more relief arrives from neighbouring countries on Sunday 

Aid workers use their hands to dig bricks from piles of rubble in Bhaktapur as more relief arrives from neighbouring countries on Sunday 

A monk holds his hand to his head in disbelief as he inspects the damage at Nepalese heritage site Syambhunaath Stupa, also known as monkey temple, after yesterday's earthquake

A monk holds his hand to his head in disbelief as he inspects the damage at Nepalese heritage site Syambhunaath Stupa, also known as monkey temple, after yesterday's earthquake

A man offers prayers to Hindu God Bhairav at Basantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu as his loyal dog waits nearby. Many of the ancient city's temples were destroyed in the earthquake 

A man offers prayers to Hindu God Bhairav at Basantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu as his loyal dog waits nearby. Many of the ancient city's temples were destroyed in the earthquake 

A woman mourns the death of a relative, one of the 2,500 people killed by the earthquake. It is the worst disaster in Nepal for more than 80 years

A woman mourns the death of a relative, one of the 2,500 people killed by the earthquake. It is the worst disaster in Nepal for more than 80 years

Women cry for loved ones killed in the disaster at a make-shift camp set up in a public park in Bhaktapur. Funeral pyres have been set up across the country in the streets 

Women cry for loved ones killed in the disaster at a make-shift camp set up in a public park in Bhaktapur. Funeral pyres have been set up across the country in the streets 

An injured woman is treated at the overcrowded Bir Hospital in Kathmandu. Rescue workers fear crucial supplies are due to run out with aid agencies and charities still unable to gain access to the city 

An injured woman is treated at the overcrowded Bir Hospital in Kathmandu. Rescue workers fear crucial supplies are due to run out with aid agencies and charities still unable to gain access to the city 

The wounded are treated outside of Bir Hospital in the capital city of Kathmandu with medics from volunteering charities expected to arrive 

The wounded are treated outside of Bir Hospital in the capital city of Kathmandu with medics from volunteering charities expected to arrive 

Rescuers, some wearing face masks to keep out the dust, scrambled over mounds of splintered timber and broken bricks in the hope of finding survivors. Some used their bare hands to fill small white buckets with dirt and rock.

Thousands of people spent the night outside in chilly temperatures and patchy rain, too afraid to return to their damaged homes or sleep indoors for fear of another tremor. 

Aftershocks from the deadly earthquake have ravaged through the country today. 

When the aftershocks come you cannot imagine the fear... you can hear the women and children crying 

'The aftershocks keep coming ... so people don't know what to expect,'  said Sanjay Karki, Nepal country head for global aid agency Mercy Corps. 

'All the open spaces in Kathmandu are packed with people who are camping outdoors. When the aftershocks come you cannot imagine the fear. You can hear women and children crying.' 

Rajendra Dhungana, 34, spent the day with his niece's family for her cremation in Kathmandu. He said: 'We don't feel safe at all. There have been so many aftershocks. It doesn't stop.

'I've watched hundreds of bodies burn. I never thought I'd see so many. Nepal should learn a lesson from this. They should realise proper buildings should be built. There should be open spaces people can run to.'

On Sunday, survivors wandered the streets clutching bed rolls and blankets, while others sat in the street cradling their children, surrounded by a few plastic bags of belongings. 

Army officer Santosh Nepal and a group of rescuers worked all night to open a passage into a collapsed building in Kathmandu. They had to use pick axes because bulldozers could not get through the ancient city's narrow streets.

'We believe there are still people trapped inside,' he said, pointing at concrete debris and twisted reinforcement rods where a three-storey residential building once stood.

Among the capital's landmarks destroyed in the earthquake was the 200-foot Dharahara Tower, built in 1832 for the queen of Nepal, with a viewing balcony that had been open to visitors for the last 10 years.

A jagged stump was all that was left of the lighthouse-like structure. As bodies were pulled from the ruins on Saturday, a policeman said up to 200 people had been trapped inside.

Survivors inspect a crack in the road left in Kathmandu, Nepal, in the wake of the earthquake which has claimed more than 2,500 lives 

Survivors inspect a crack in the road left in Kathmandu, Nepal, in the wake of the earthquake which has claimed more than 2,500 lives 

Men ease their way around the ruins of homes in Bhaktapur, scouring the site for any survivors. The death toll is expected to rise yet from 2,500

Men ease their way around the ruins of homes in Bhaktapur, scouring the site for any survivors. The death toll is expected to rise yet from 2,500

In Bhaktapur, a Buddha survived when the rest of the temple collapsed. Many of the country's temples - which attract thousands in tourism every year - were destroyed 

In Bhaktapur, a Buddha survived when the rest of the temple collapsed. Many of the country's temples - which attract thousands in tourism every year - were destroyed 

Police carry the body of another victim through the rubble-strewn streets of Bhaktapur. The earthquake is the worst disaster the country has seen for more than 80 years 

Police carry the body of another victim through the rubble-strewn streets of Bhaktapur. The earthquake is the worst disaster the country has seen for more than 80 years 

In the capital city, thousands are camping in the streets for fear of more tremors from the earthquake's aftershock. This morning it measured 6.7 on the Richter Scale 

In the capital city, thousands are camping in the streets for fear of more tremors from the earthquake's aftershock. This morning it measured 6.9 on the Richter Scale 

A small child takes shelter at a makeshift camp site where scores are gathering in fear of more devastation in the capital city of Kathmandu 

A small child takes shelter at a makeshift camp site where scores are gathering in fear of more devastation in the capital city of Kathmandu 

Indian men fight for coveted places on an airplane due to leave the country this afternoon after Kathmandu airport reopened 

Indian men fight for coveted places on an airplane due to leave the country this afternoon after Kathmandu airport reopened 

Emergency workers take rest on care packages and ruck sacks as the search for survivors across Nepal continues into its second day

Emergency workers take rest on care packages and ruck sacks as the search for survivors across Nepal continues into its second day

Bodies were still arriving on Sunday at one hospital where police officer Sudan Shreshtha said his team had brought 166 corpses overnight.

'Both private and government hospitals have run out of space and are treating patients outside, in the open,' said Nepal's envoy to India, Deep Kumar Upadhyay. Prime Minister Sushil Koirala is back from abroad and will soon address the country.

AS DEATH TOLL RISES TO 2,500 IN 24 HOURS... WHAT HAPPENS NEXT FOR DISASTER STRUCK NEPAL?

With the death toll steadily rising, the full extent of the horror brought by the earthquake is slowly unfolding.

As rescuers scramble to save stranded climbers on Mount Everest where 18 died under avalanches yesterday, experts are warning the worst of the disaster is to come. 

Aftershocks rocked the Himalayan country this morning with residents describing the tremors in terrifying detail. 

One registered 6.9 on the Richter Scale and is feared to have triggered yet more avalanches on Everest. 

While the original earthquake's magnitude - 7.9 - labelled it a 'major' incident, it struck just 11km underground, making its effects all the more devastating. 

Coupled with that is its lack of preparation for such destructive tremors. A relatively poor country, its buildings are shoddily constructed and easily torn down. 

Experts also fear the earthquake's shallowness could have sparked landslides across the mountainous region. 

Save the Children's Peter Olyle said hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley were running out of storage room for bodies and emergency supplies. 'There is a need for a government decision on bringing in kits from the military,' he said from Kathmandu.

Police put the death toll in Nepal at 2,152, with 5,463 hurt. At least 700 were killed in the capital, a city of about 1 million people where many homes are old, poorly built and packed close together.

Some 49 people were reported killed in neighbouring India, which has sent military aircraft to Nepal with medical equipment and relief teams. It also said it had dispatched 285 members of its National Disaster Response Force.

In Tibet, the death toll climbed to 17, according to a tweet from China's state news agency, Xinhua. Four people were killed in Bangladesh. 

Pakistan's military is sending four C-130 aircraft with a 30-bed hospital, search and rescue teams and relief supplies, the army said.  

This evening, the Department for International Development announced it would be pledging an extra £5million to help relief efforts following the devastating earthquake.

Rapid deployment teams are also being sent to the country to provide assistance to stranded Brits. In total, £3million has been released under the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) to address immediate, on-the-ground needs while £2million has been released to the British Red Cross.   

International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: 'As the death toll rises and the scale of this devastating earthquake becomes evident, the UK is continuing to do everything it can to help all those affected by this tragedy.

'I have now activated the Rapid Response Facility. This means we can fast-track funding to aid workers on the ground so they can provide desperately needed supplies including clean water, shelter, household items and blankets. We are also sending humanitarian experts from the UK to provide urgent support on the ground.'   

UK Government officials in Kathmandu and London are also providing consular assistance to Brits who have been caught up in this disaster, while the Foreign Office has also opened a crisis hotline for those concerned about loved ones. 

Oxfam is also lending its support with teams flying in from the UK with supplies to provide clean water, sanitation and emergency food supplies. Christian Aid has made an initial £50,000 available to help victims.

A team of 16 volunteers from UK charity Search and Rescue Assistance in Disasters (SARAID) set out for Kathmandu today, taking with them 1.5 tonnes of specialist equipment to help rescue people in collapsed buildings.  

SARAID a charity specialising in rescuing people trapped in collapsed buildings, is taking 1.5 tonnes of equipment including sound and vibration detectors, search cameras and cutting equipment. 

Paul Incledon, a 42-year-old firefighter, from Bristol, said the team was able to deal with the emotional strain of working in a disaster zone.

'We will just concentrate and try and block out the grim reality around us,' he said.

'We have medics going along who we can talk to if we need to, but we will try and just get on and look out for each other. When I was in Haiti, with so much death and destruction around, you just become desensitised to it a little and do the job.' 

The team is unsure what to expect when it arrives in Kathmandu, which it plans to access by making an eight-hour journey by road after flying into Bagdogra, a town in northern India.

'The reports are saying Kathmandu is quite intact as a city but we understand the rural areas have seen quite a bit of devastation,' Mr Incledon said.

Roads to Gorkha district, the site of the epicentre, were blocked by landslides, hindering rescue teams, chief district official Prakash Subedi said. Teams were trekking on foot through mountain trails to reach remote villages, and helicopters would also be deployed, he said.

Mukesh Kafle, head of Nepal Electricity Authority, said power had been restored to the main government office, the airport and hospitals. But the damage to the electricity cables and poles was making it difficult to restore power across many parts of the country.

'We have to make sure all cables are secure before turning the power on. Our technicians have been working round the clock to restore power to the people,' he said.  

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on the 25 April last year causing mass devastation and killing 9000 people. Pictured then, rescue helicopters return to base camp at Mount Everest to collect remaining survivors

Up to 18 people are feared to have died on Mount Everest after being buried by an avalanche that was triggered by the earthquake yesterday. Above, rescue helicopters return to base camp to collect remaining survivors  

A rescue operation in the Kalanki neighbourhood of Kathmandu saw police rescuers tried to extricate a man lying under a dead person, crushed by a pile of concrete slabs and iron beams, as his family members watched on in horror.

'We are digging the debris around him, cutting through concrete and iron beams. We will be able to pull him out but his body under his waist is totally crushed. He is still alive and crying for help. We are going to save him,' said police officer Suresh Rai.  

National police spokesman Kamal Singh Ban said the number known to have died in Nepal had risen to 1,953 while officials in India said the toll there now stood at 53. Chinese state media said 17 people had been killed in the Tibet region.  

GOOGLE RELAUNCH 'PERSON FINDER' IN AFTERMATH OF DISASTER 

Google have relaunched their 'person finder' tool to help those affected by the earthquake in Nepal.

The tool is a searchable, online database to help people track down their loved ones who are involved in the disaster.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which killed hundreds and destroyed homes, also damaged communications in the region.

Person Finder collates information from emergency responders and individuals who post details about relatives missing or found.

Within hours of the disaster, 200 names had been uploaded.

The tool was first launched in response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and has been used in several major disasters ever since including the 2011 Japanese tsunami and 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

A spokeswoman for Intrepid Travel - which arranges treks in Nepal and around the Everest region - confirmed they had groups with British travellers in the area and said they are still attempting to contact those tours.

The earthquake has also triggered a massive avalanche on Mount Everest killing 18 and injuring at least 30. Several groups of climbers were also said to be trapped at base camp which was severely damaged.

Panicked residents had rushed into the streets as the tremor erupted with the impact felt hundreds of miles away in big swathes of northern India and even in Bangladesh. 

Prime Minister David Cameron pledged that the UK would do all it can to help in the aftermath on the Nepal earthquake.

On Twitter he said: 'Shocking news about the earthquake in Nepal - the UK will do all we can to help those caught up in it.' 

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said it was 'almost certain' that Britons had been caught up in the quake but that there had so far been no reports of any Britons killed or injured.

He said: 'There are several hundred British nationals in Nepal at this time of year and we expect that almost certainly some will have been caught up in the earthquakes. But at this moment we have no reports of any British nationals killed or injured.

'British Embassy staff are on the ground and have provided practical help to around 200 British nationals. Teams of consular staff have also been out scouring hospitals, hotels and areas popular with tourists looking for British nationals who may need assistance.

'Damage to communications infrastructure caused by the earthquakes is making it difficult to contact people who may have been trekking in remote areas so it may be some time before we, working with the tour companies, are able to identify who is in Nepal and to account for them.

'The Foreign Office is urgently deploying additional consular response teams from London and Delhi to reinforce our embassy staff and looking at what else we can do. In the meantime my colleague Justine Greening chaired a COBR meeting in London this afternoon and DFID is providing £5m of humanitarian aid for Nepal.' 

Labour leader Ed Miliband also expressed his sympathy for all those involved, tweeting: 'The awful scenes in Nepal are heartbreaking. My thoughts go out to the people affected, and to those caring for survivors.' 

Speaking at a campaign event in north London, he also pledged that Britain would do everything it could to help Nepal in its 'hour of need'.

He said: 'We have seen truly appalling scenes as a result of this earthquake. We now know thousands of lives have been lost and we know that British nationals have been caught up in this tragedy.

'We must ensure all international efforts support Nepal during this desperate time.'   

Yesterday Vim Tamang, a resident of Manglung village near the epicentre, said: 'Our village has been almost wiped out. Most of the houses are either buried by landslide or damaged by shaking.'All the villagers have gathered in the open area. We don't know what to do. We are feeling helpless.' 

Before and after: The Dharahara Tower, one of Kathmandu's landmarks built by Nepal's royal rulers in the 1800s was reduced to rubble with reports of people trapped underneath
Before and after: The Dharahara Tower, one of Kathmandu's landmarks built by Nepal's royal rulers in the 1800s was reduced to rubble with reports of people trapped underneath

Before and after: The Dharahara Tower, one of Kathmandu's landmarks built by Nepal's royal rulers in the 1800s was reduced to rubble when the earthquake struck yesterday morning 

People inspect the damage of the collapsed landmark Dharahara, also called Bhimsen Tower, after an earthquake caused serious damage in the capital city 

People inspect the damage of the collapsed landmark Dharahara, also called Bhimsen Tower, after an earthquake caused serious damage in the capital city 

A survivor is pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building in Kathmandu yesterday shortly after the earthquake struck at around noon 

A survivor is pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building in Kathmandu yesterday shortly after the earthquake struck at around noon 

EERIE REMINDER OF 1934 TRAGEDY

Nepal's worst recorded earthquake, which took place in January 1934, measured 8.0 and all but destroyed the cities of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan.

The quake, the centre of which was near to Mount Everest, was the strongest to hit the Himalayan nation in 68 years and claimed nearly 10,000 lives. 

During that devastating incident, many of Bhaktapur's ancient buildings were destroyed. Kathmandu's Darbar Square and the 19th century Dharhara Tower were also grounded.

Those buildings were later rebuilt, largely due to efforts from Western communities.

Just this month, a group of earthquake experts gathered in Kathmandu to discuss how to prepare the city better for a quake of the same magnitude as the 1934 temblor.

A terrified Kathmandu resident said: 'Everything started shaking. Everything fell down. The walls around the main road have collapsed. The national stadiums gates have collapsed,' Kathmandu resident Anupa Shrestha said. 

Indian tourist Devyani Pant was in a Kathmandu coffee shop with friends when 'suddenly the tables started trembling and paintings on the wall fell on the ground. 

The quake's epicentre was 50 miles north-west of Kathmandu and it had a depth of only seven miles, which is considered shallow in geological terms. The shallower the quake, the more destructive power it carries, and witnesses said the trembling and swaying of the earth went on for several minutes.

National radio warned people to stay outdoors and maintain calm because more aftershocks were feared.

A 6.6-magnitude aftershock hit about an hour after the initial quake. But smaller aftershocks continued to arrive every few minutes and residents reported of the ground feeling unstable. 

People gathered outside Kathmandu's Norvic International Hospital where doctors and nurses had hooked up some patients to IV drops in the car park or were giving people oxygen. 

A Swedish woman, Jenny Adhikari, who lives in Nepal, told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that she was riding a bus in the town of Melamchi when the earth began to move.

'A huge stone crashed only about 20 metres from the bus,' she was quoted as saying.

'All the houses around me have tumbled down. I think there are lot of people who have died,' she told the newspaper by telephone. Melamchi is about 30 miles north-east of Kathmandu.  

The earthquake also shook several cities across northern India and was felt as far away as Lahore in Pakistan and Lhasa in Tibet, 340 miles east of Kathmandu and India's capital of New Delhi. 

The Indian cities of Lucknow in the north and Patna in the east also reported strong tremors. 

In Siliguri, India, where at least two people including a woman were killed, the front of an earthquake-damaged house was trapped in wiring and the branches of a tree

In Siliguri, India, where at least two people including a woman were killed, the front of an earthquake-damaged house was trapped in wiring and the branches of a tree

A collapsed house in Nyelam County in Shigatse, Tibet (left) while a man looks through the ruble of a similarly damaged building in Kathmandu
A collapsed house in Nyelam County in Shigatse, Tibet (left) while a man looks through the ruble of a similarly damaged building in Kathmandu

A collapsed house in Nyelam County in Shigatse, Tibet (left) while a man looks through the ruble of a similarly damaged building in Kathmandu

As well as leveling many of Kathmandu's homes and structures, the quake also left a dust pall over the valley, doctors and witnesses said

As well as leveling many of Kathmandu's homes and structures, the quake also left a dust pall over the valley, doctors and witnesses said

People search for survivors under the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kathmandu Durbar Square yesterday in the immediate aftermath 

People search for survivors under the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kathmandu Durbar Square yesterday in the immediate aftermath 

Rescue teams and tractors clear the rubble of collapsed buildings, crumbled temples and broken walls in the famous square yesterday 

Rescue teams and tractors clear the rubble of collapsed buildings, crumbled temples and broken walls in the famous square yesterday 

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