More than 1,000 people have been killed in Nepal's deadliest earthquake for more than 80 years, police say.
The 7.8 magnitude quake struck an area of central Nepal between the capital, Kathmandu, and the city of Pokhara.
There were also victims in India, Bangladesh, Tibet and on Mount Everest, where avalanches were triggered. The government has declared a state of emergency in the affected areas, and help has been offered by countries around the world.
Little information has emerged from the epicentre, where extensive damage has been reported, and there are fears the death toll could rise yet further. A national police spokesman told the BBC that more than 1,150 people had died in the quake.
Thousands of people are spending the night outside their houses, following a series of aftershocks.
Offers of aid:
- The US is sending a disaster response team and has released an initial $1m (£0.7m) according to the US aid agency USAid
- India has sent a military transport plane with three tonnes of supplies and a 40-strong disaster response team to Nepal. Officials said three more planes would follow, carrying a mobile hospital and further relief teams
- The UK is sending an eight-strong team of humanitarian experts
- Pakistan is sending four C-130 aircraft carrying a 30-bed field hospital and search-and-rescue teams Germany, Spain, Norway and the European Union are also pledging to send aid
- French President Francois Hollande said France was ready to respond to any request for aid and assistance
Many more people are trapped under rubble. Local television pictures showed rescuers in Kathmandu desperately digging through the rubble with their bare hands in search of survivors. Many historic buildings in the capital were also destroyed.
Source: BBC.COM
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