Escape from death mountain: Newly-wed British couple describe terror on Everest as they were engulfed by killer avalanche amid fears that death toll from earthquake could rise to 10,000

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A newly married couple and a pregnant woman are among dozens of British climbers and travellers who were caught up in the the devastating earthquake in Nepal that triggered a massive avalanche on Mount Everest yesterday.

Alex Chappatte and her new husband Sam wrote of their terror as avalanches broke around them and they were forced to take shelter at their camp half-way up the world's tallest mountain.

Other British adventurers described seeing 'car-sized boulders' as Everest shook for two minutes as a result of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake - but dozens of climbers have still not been heard from after the disaster.

Desperate relatives have posted pictures and descriptions of loved ones online in the hope they can be found as the death toll continues to grow, with more than 2,500 people dead across Nepal and neighbouring countries and the final death toll expected to be far higher. Latest estimates suggest as many as 50 British tourists are missing. 

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Newlyweds: Alex and Sam Chappatte were stuck on Everest after a massive earthquake triggered avalanches on the world's highest mountain

Trapped: Pregnant Eleanor Walker-Corriette, left, and Tara Bradshaw, right, are among the many Britons unable to leave Nepal

On the mountain: Julia Carroll, 22, from Sussex (left) and Laura Wood, 23, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire (right) went missing but have now managed to make contact with loved ones

Mr and Mrs Chappatte, both 28, are on their honeymoon two weeks after getting married in Ghana, and have both given up their jobs in order to climb Everest - a year after they were forced to abandon a previous attempt to ascend the mountain.

The couple from London, who have been together since they were teenagers, were able to update their blog last night to assure relatives that they were unharmed, but for the time being they are trapped in a camp and unsure how they are able to proceed.

Describing their ordeal as 'very scary', they wrote: 'The earthquake hit about 30 minutes after we had crossed the icefall yesterday morning and found our tents. The ground started shaking violently but before we could react Dan [the expedition leader] was shouting 'Get out of your f***ing tents, grab your ice axes!'

'We staggered out to see an avalanche coming straight at us. A blast of wind knocked us down but we were able to get up and run to shelter behind some tents and anchor ourselves with our axes. We focused on keeping an air hole so we could breathe in the powder.'

Eleanor Walker-Corriette, who is six months pregnant, has been trapped in Kathmandu, where 1,152 people have died, in the aftermath of the disaster and does not know how she will get home.

The 35-year-old jewellery shop owner from Nottingham was in Nepal, where she was been 30 times before, buying products for her business with husband Robbie when the earthquake struck.

Her mother Marylin said that Mrs Walker-Corriette had been forced to leave her hotel and seek shelter in a camp for those affected.

'We were so worried when we found out,' she said. 'She rang last night to say they were okay. Obviously our main concern is for the baby, as it's her first.

'We're glad they're OK, but worried how they're going to get back. The earthquake as destroyed the runways in the airport and tourists are trapped.

'The tourists need to get out of there as soon as possible - they're going to be a hindrance to the rescue teams and obviously sanitation and supplies of clean water will be compromised.'

Mrs Walker-Corriette is fluent in Nepalese and uses some of the profits from her shop to fund charitable projects in the country.

Appeal: Relatives of Darren Smith, from Edinburgh, who is travelling with girlfriend Fiona Lamont, want him to get in touch

Missing: Ashrafe Sultana, left, from north London and Mitch Carpenter, 23, from Berkshire, right, are out of contact

Travellers: Backpacker Sam Stalker, left, and experienced Welsh-born climber Ade Summers, right, are currently missing

Academics Hayley Saul and Emma Waterton, who studied together at the University of York, narrowly avoided death but have been rescued

Local officials said that 17 people were killed and 60 injured at Everest's base camp, while those at the higher camp one and camp two were unable to descend and had to be lifted off the mountain by helicopter.

Nick Talbot, from County Durham, who was attempting to be the first person with cystic fibrosis to climb Everest, said the avalanche was 'like a tsunami' and was knocked down by the froce of the snow.

He told the New York Times that he had previously seen avalanches 'all the time', adding: 'But this was like a tsunami... I saw this wall of snow and ice coming.

'It knocked me into the rocks. I got up and and it knocked me over again.'

Mr Talbot, 39, was evacuated from the mountain by helicopter, but said that many people on Everest were likely to have been killed by the disaster.

Chris Harling, who is leader of the Adventure Peaks Everest North Ridge 2015 Expedition, was also on the mountain when the avalanche struck.

Posting on Facebook, he wrote: 'Here in base camp we initially felt minor tremors, then the ground began to feel like jelly as waves passed through the rocks beneath our feet.

'Climbers appeared from tents all over camp to try to start to comprehend what they were feeling.

'As the movement became more violent I expected the loose and precarious rocky slopes above the camp area to start shedding huge boulders - it was extremely alarming wondering if we were to be buried by rockfall.

'Sure enough, an area of steep cliffs did break off sending car-sized boulders hurtling down only a few hundred metres from our tents. We are still feeling aftershocks hours later.'

Disaster: 18-year-old Anna Buchanan, left, and Alex White, 34, right, both from London, are amongst the Britons who have not been accounted for

Holiday: Ross Smith, from Scotland, left, and pensioner Martin Oppenheim, right, from Berkshire are currently missing

Trek: Matthew Thorne, from Stirling, and Briton Tony McMurray, right, were both travelling to Everest base camp

A British Army team is stuck on the mountain as aftershocks continue to shake the area, but its leader Captain Tim Hayward said that they were unhurt by the initial quake. He told Sky News: 'Almost like thunder, huge boulders started to break around us from the side of the mountain and roll down towards the bottom.'

James Grieve, 52, told The Sun that the earthquake went on for two minutes, adding: 'You could feel Everest move.' His partner Shirley McGhie said: 'He said they were in their tents before the avalanche hit. They were warned to put their ice picks in the ground and hold on as tight as they could.

'He found it difficult to breathe and when it was over they just tried to get some shelter and get some tents erected. They were just really concerned for the others and those that were injured.'

Nineteen-year-old Alex Staniforth, from Chester, has cut short his attempt to conquer Everest for the second year in a row in the wake of the disaster.

He said he was scared for his life as the avalanche ripped through his camp, adding: 'Many great people and friends have been swept away. Any thoughts of continuing in the face of such tragedy obviously ruled out.'

Hayley Saul and Emma Warterton narrowly avoided death after leaving a village near Kathmandu, just hours before it was flattened.

Ms Saul, a 32-year-old doctor from Northampton, managed to contact her sister Emma Price and has now been airlifted to the British Embassy in Nepal, but she was said to be 'absolutely terrified'.

Mrs Price told the Daily Telegraph: 'Huge boulders were falling and following them, the river was blocked in places and she was worried it would flood, the cliffs were shaking with the aftershocks. It was absolutely terrifying.

'They were just on the path when it happened. She said they just ran. They were on the way down and there were rocks following them.

'The guide she was with found out that his whole family had gone. It’s some kind of apocalyptic nightmare.' 

At least 50 Britons were listed as being missing on the Google Person Finder website or the International Red Cross list, which allow worried families to appeal for information. 

Mountain: Teenager Archie Rainey, from Glasgow, is pictured in the Himalayas weeks before the earthquake; he was initially listed as missing but has now been found

Contact: Relatives are hoping to speak to Helen Pounder, left, from County Durham and Nottingham-based Tom Southgate, right

Unknown: Lee Tuddenham, left, and Katherine Trevellion, right, are out of contact after the disaster

Wait: Family of Ann Hardie, left, from Fife and 24-year-old Jake Whyles, right, from Lincolnshire are hoping to get in touch with them

Julia Carroll, a 22-year-old from Suffolk, was white-water rafting with her boyfriend when the quake struck, and had to dodge rocks which were shaken loose from the cliffs above them.

She and Tom Challis managed to avoid being struck by the boulders, and spent last night sleeping on a beach before catching a bus back to Kathmandu.

The gap-year traveller was unable to contact her family for nearly 24 hours, leaving them in fear that she could have been seriously hurt, but today she managed to send them a message on Facebook saying: 'I'm alive.'

Miss Carroll and Mr Challis - who met at Staffordshire University - then made it to the British embassy, where she phoned father John and assured him that she was safe.

Mr Carroll said: 'Julia told me that they were lucky to be alive. She was very upset and clearly shocked.'

Among those listed as missing on Google Person Finder was Sebastian Lovera, a 22-year-old qualified skiing and diving instructor, from Tonbridge, Kent. His last known location was Khumjung on Tuesday, from where he was heading towards Everest Base Camp. Relatives said this morning that he had phoned home.

His step-father, Greg Smye-Rumsby, said: 'Sebastian is an extremely lively and self-motivating person and that is why he went to Nepal. He's certainly not a person to take risks. He's the absolute opposite.' 

Search: Jay Devine, left, and Anthony White, right, were listed as missing on Google Person Finder, which allows people to search for information on relatives in Nepal

Intrepid: 19-year-old Alex Staniforth, from Chester, was forced to abandon his attempt to climb Everest

Safe: Britons Sebastian Lovera (left) and Daniel Mazur (right) have been in touch with their families after the disaster

Another Briton who was feared missing was Laura Wood, 23, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. She is described by a friend as a 'glowing lovely beautiful young girl often dressed in hippy type clothing'. She has now been found safe.

Peter Hillary, the son of Everest pioneer Sir Edmund Hillary, was trekking near the mountain when the quake struck but was also unharmed.

Alexandra Aitken, the daughter of former Conservative MP Jonathan Aitken, was also in Nepal but has made contact with her family to say she was unhurt. 

Foreign Office officials advised anyone visiting Nepal to stay in a safe place due to the danger of continuing aftershocks.

British tourists are encouraged to contact the authorities online or by calling +44 207 008 0000 in order to let them know they are safe, while relatives concerned for their loved ones' safety can call 0207 008 0000 in the UK for information.

Tweeting from the mountain, Daniel Mazur, from Bristol, wrote: 'A massive earthquake just hit Everest. Basecamp has been severely damaged. Our team is caught in camp 1. Please pray for everyone.' 

He later posted: '12+1 members at Everest base camp TV team passed away. RIP. Earthquake loosed tons of ice down, creating wind blast destroying base camp heart.' 

Following more aftershocks which hit the mountain today, Mr Mazur said that there were avalanches coming down on all sides, isolating the climbers in their camp. He tweeted: 'Aftershock at 1pm! Horrible here in camp 1. Avalanches on three sides. Camp 1 a tiny island. We worry about icefall team below... Alive?'  

Dozens of British climbers and travellers are feared missing or dead following the devastating earthquake in Nepal that triggered a massive avalanche (pictured) on Mount Everest

Devastating: At least 18 climbers were killed after the earthquake which buried tents at the base camp of Everest (pictured)

Avalanche: Terrifying avalanche pictured from basecamp on Mount Everest caused by the earthquake yesterday

The avalanche was caused by a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake which struck Nepal and has claimed the lives of more than 2,500 people

Six groups of Britons who booked with travel company Jagged Globe are missing, the firm's director Tom Briggs confirmed.

He said: 'We are still waiting to hear from our teams. The phone lines have been jammed. We have eight teams there at the moment and only two have checked in so far. We have about 70 people out there. They are mostly British people but we also have people from Australia and Ireland. The people travelling had been saving up for a trip of a lifetime for an adventure holiday.

'One team had been travelling between camps at the time, another was trekking on Mera Peak and they were due to go to the summit today. We are hoping they are back in the camp because they climb it at night when the snow is frozen. We are still waiting for news from the Everest teams.

'We are worried, it is still early stages and we are concerned. We believe the avalanches happened up the mountains and we're hoping our teams are safe.'

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.

33-year-old Google executive Dan Fredinburg is among the 18 climbers confirmed killed in the avalanche on Mount Everest

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

Mountain: Base camp was the scene of disaster while climbers were stuck at camp one

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 today announced that 200 Britons had been given help by embassy staff.

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.'

Mr Hammond added that damage to communications infrastructure was making it difficult to contact people in remote locations, meaning it could be some time before all Britons are accounted for.

He added: '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.'

Officials today confirmed that at least 1,341 people have died as rescue teams continue to search for survivors who are feared to be trapped under rubble. State television then said more than 1,500 had been killed. The figure now stands at more than 2,500.

Aid groups received the first word from remote mountain villages, with reports suggesting that many communities perched on mountainsides were devastated or struggling to cope.

Landslides hindered rescue teams that tried to use mountain trails to reach those in need, said Prakash Subedi, chief district official in the Gorkha region, where the quake was centred.

'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.'

Effects of the quake were felt hundreds of miles away in neighbouring countries with 61 killed in India, 12 in Tibet and 4 in Bangladesh. Two Chinese citizens died at the Nepal-China border.

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. 

Video footage showed people digging through the rubble of the bricks from the collapsed tower, looking for survivors. 

33-year-old Google executive Dan Fredinburg is among the 18 climbers confirmed killed in the avalanche on Mount Everest.

Mr Fredinburg, who used to date One Tree Hill actress Sophia Bush, suffered fatal head injuries while climbing with the Jagged Globe team on Saturday.

Bush, who ended the one-year relationship last February, delivered the news in an emotional post on Instagram, which paid tribute to 'one of the great loves of my life' who was 'one of a kind'.

Fredinburg, whose job title was 'Google Adventurer', used to photograph the world's high peaks for Google Maps. He was also head of privacy for the firm's elusive invention factory Google X. 

A man buried up to his shoulders in rubble is rescued from the remains of a destroyed building in Kathmandu, Nepal, after the earthquake

Locals rescued two more dust-covered men, pulling them up on the the street as they work to find and rescue any survivors of the disaster

Two men stand on top of the remains of a building destroyed by the earthquake as a collapsed telephone pole teeters in the rubble nearby

Men carry an injured person through the streets of Kathmandu, Nepal after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake caused massive damage in the city

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. The 7.8 magnitude tremor was the worst to hit the poor South Asian nation in over 80 years.

Television footage showed a huge swathe of houses had collapsed in while roads had been split in two by the force of the impact.

India was first to respond to Nepal's appeal for help by sending in military aircraft with medical equipment and relief teams. 

Britain has deployed a team of humanitarian experts to Nepal to provide urgent support for people affected by the quake, International Development Secretary Justine Greening announced last night.

Ms Greening said: 'My thoughts are with the people of Nepal, in particular all those who have lost loved ones. 

'The absolute priority must be to reach people who are trapped and injured, and provide shelter and protection to those who have lost their homes.

'Nepal needs our urgent humanitarian assistance. That is why we have rapidly deployed a team of humanitarian experts who will immediately begin work assessing the damage and helping the Nepalese authorities respond to this devastating earthquake.'

Nepalese rescue teams remove a body from the rubble of the historic 19th century Darahara Tower in Kathmandu which collapsed in the quake

People search for survivors in the rubble of a destroyed building after the earthquake hit Nepal and surrounding countries at just after 6am GBT time

People carry a woman from the rubble of a destroyed building while locals and rescue teams continue to search for more survivors of the earthquake

This evening, she announced the UK 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.   

Ms 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.  

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.' 

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.'

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.

'I screamed and rushed outside,' she told Reuters by telephone from the capital, where at least 300 people died.

'We are now collecting bodies and rushing the injured to the ambulance. We are being forced to pile several bodies one above the other to fit them in.'

Pushpa Das, a labourer, ran from the house when the first quake struck but could not escape a collapsing wall that injured his arm.

'It was very scary. The earth was moving ... I am waiting for treatment but the (hospital) staff is overwhelmed,' he said.

'The walls of houses have collapsed around me onto the road. All the families are outside in their yards huddled together. The tremors are still going on,' an AFP reporter added.

Volunteers help remove a huge pile of debris from what used to be a building in Durbar Square before the quake which caused extensive damage with toppled walls and collapsed buildings

Huge teams of locals and volunteers help to heave away huge pieces of debris from homes, business and offices left by the earthquake

People survey a site damaged by an earthquake which caused buildings to collapse, injuring many and leaving a pall of dust over the city, witnesses said

Teams have been working non-stop since the earthquake devastated the city of Kathmandu at midday local time (just after 6am GBT) 

Crowds gather round the temple in Bashantapur Durbar Square which was badly damaged but has managed to stay mostly upstanding after the tremor

Oxfam is also lending its support to the rescue effort with teams in Nepal already assessing the humanitarian need and a team of technical experts preparing to fly from the UK with supplies to provide clean water, sanitation and emergency food supplies. 

And Christian Aid has made an initial £50,000 available to help victims. 

Tanya Barron, CEO of Plan International UK, who is in eastern Nepal on a scheduled visit, said she was on the top floor of a building when it started to 'shake violently'.

She added: 'It was very scary. Our colleagues advised us that the quake felt much stronger than usual.

'We are safe and now we are working with our colleagues to respond. There are crowds of people on the streets here and the hospitals are already overwhelmed. Our immediate priorities are to assist the emergency services with search and rescue and to establish shelter.'