More than 700 people are known to have died in a powerful earthquake in Nepal, with many more feared trapped under rubble, officials say.
The 7.8 magnitude quake struck an area between the capital, Kathmandu, and the city of Pokhara, the US Geological Survey said.
Tremors were felt across the region, with further loss of life in India, Bangladesh and on Mount Everest.
The government has declared a state of emergency in the affected areas.
Nepali Information Minister Minendra Rijal said there had been “massive damage” at the epicentre, from where little information is emerging.
“We need support from the various international agencies which are more knowledgeable and equipped to handle the kind of emergency we face now,” he said.
A national police spokesman told the BBC that 711 people had died in the quake, 467 of them in Kathmandu alone.
Media caption Minister Minendra Rijai says there has been “massive damage” around the epicentre of the quake
Rescuers are digging through the rubble of collapsed buildings in the capital trying to reach survivors.
A number of historic buildings have been destroyed.
Among those wrecked was the landmark Dharahara tower, with many feared trapped in its ruins.
After the earthquake struck, frightened residents came out into the streets. Mobile phones and other communications have been disrupted.
Indonesia, 2004, the devastating 9.1 earthquake and ensuing tsunami kills more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries
There are also reports of damage to the airport in the capital, which could potentially hamper relief operations.
“It was very scary. The earth was moving… I am waiting for treatment but the [hospital] staff are overwhelmed,” a labourer who injured his arm in a collapsing wall told AP.
Patrick Adams, a photo journalist in Kathmandu, said he saw “truckloads” of bodies coming into the hospital.
With little known about the extent of the damage around the earthquake’s epicentre, there are fears the death toll could rise.
Aftershocks continued to ripple through the region hours after.
The quake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, with some reports saying eight people had been killed – but the Nepalese home ministry could only confirm that two people had died on Everest. Others remain missing.
“Running for life from my tent. Unhurt. Many many people up the mountain,” tweeted mountaineer Alex Gavan.
At least 35 people have been killed in India, Indian officials say, with one death also reported in Bangladesh.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met his ministers to review the situation. Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, has pledged help for the Nepalese authorities.
It is the worst earthquake to strike Nepal since one in 1934 all but destroyed Kathmandu.
-BBC Report
