Wiped off the map: Startling images from Nepal earthquake epicenter reveal entire hillside villages have been decimated 

  • Entire hillside villages in the Gorkha region of the country have been flattened by Saturdays earthquake
  • The scale of disaster was seen in capital city Kathmandu whose historic temples were reduced to rubble by quake
  • Bodies of thousands of people buried alive in their homes have been laid in the street by their hysterical relatives
  • Rescue teams are frantically using their hands to dig out survivors as aid relief from neighbouring India arrived
  • As many as 18 people climbers on Mount Everest were killed when base camp was swallowed by avalanche  

Dramatic aerial photographs taken just miles from the epicenter of Saturday's Nepal earthquake in Gorkha reveal entire villages reduced to rubble and flattened by mudslides.

Already the number of dead reported in the western region has reached 47, but officials estimate the death toll will rise considerably, possibly hitting 10,000 as the nation picks up the pieces from the powerful quake.

Indeed, across the rubble-strewn country, survivors and rescue teams are battling to find the missing amid now-ruined and collapsed historic buildings, while the international community sends aid as fast as it can to the mountainous country.

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Destroyed: These pictures posted to the account of the ex-Nepalese Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai show an entire village has been reduced to rubble in the Gorkha region of the country

Destroyed: These pictures posted to the account of the ex-Nepalese Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai show an entire village has been reduced to rubble in the Gorkha region of the country

Flattened: Rescuers are now rushing to the rubble to find survivors and bring relief and mountainous region in Nepal which has been badly affected by Saturday's earthquake

Flattened: Rescuers are now rushing to the rubble to find survivors and bring relief and mountainous region in Nepal which has been badly affected by Saturday's earthquake

Remote beauty: Dr. Baburam Bhattarai flew over this valley in Gorkha and witnessed the destruction caused by the huge earthquake

Remote beauty: Dr. Baburam Bhattarai flew over this valley in Gorkha and witnessed the destruction caused by the huge earthquake

The full horror of the Nepalese earthquake which has so far claimed 2,500 lives and injured nearly 6,000 unfolded this morning in the towns of the Kathmandu Valley which have been reduced to rubble.

Scarcely covered by white sheets, the bodies of those buried alive in their homes have been laid in the street. Overrun by the escalating disaster and in fear of any deadly aftershocks which could collapse yet more buildings,  hospital staff have begun treating the wounded outside.  

Frantic rescuers were seen using their hands to dig through the debris this morning as the death toll crept up to 2,200 across four countries. 

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

In Kathmandu, survivors told of the terrifying moment the earthquake's aftershock struck this morning. Appealing to the international community via social media, they begged for blood and care packages to sustain the remaining population. 

Much of the capital city, which has a population of almost 1.2 million, has been blocked off by tens of thousands of people sleeping in shelters and on the streets.   

For the dead, makeshift pyres have been erected in fields and public parks. Their corpses have been left on the ground with grieving mothers gathering around them.   

Before and after the earthquake: The combo photo shows a ceremony held in Durbar square in Kathmandu to celebrate Indrajatra Festival in 2013 (above) and people gathering around a collapsed building after an earthquake in Durbar square in Patan, Nepal on Sunday

Before and after the earthquake: The combo photo shows a ceremony held in Durbar square in Kathmandu to celebrate Indrajatra Festival in 2013 (above) and people gathering around a collapsed building after an earthquake in Durbar square in Patan, Nepal on Sunday

Startling: The combo photo shows Nepalese devotees participating in a procession of chariots of god and goddess Ganesh, Kumari and Bhairav during the last day of Indrajatra festival at Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2013 (above) and the ruins on the Durbar Square after an earthquake in Patan, Nepal

Startling: The combo photo shows Nepalese devotees participating in a procession of chariots of god and goddess Ganesh, Kumari and Bhairav during the last day of Indrajatra festival at Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2013 (above) and the ruins on the Durbar Square after an earthquake in Patan, Nepal

Historic The combo photo shows Dharahara before and after the earthquake in Nepal when an earthquake struck the mountainous country and claimed upwards of 10,000 lives

Historic The combo photo shows Dharahara before and after the earthquake in Nepal when an earthquake struck the mountainous country and claimed upwards of 10,000 lives

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

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

The bodies of the victims are laid out in line outside a hospital in central 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 central 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. Makeshift funeral pyres are being set up across the city

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 

The body of a child is left beside a note underneath a brick on a grassy area outside one of the hospitals in  Bhaktapur. On Sunday the death toll crept to 2,200 with yet more people feared to have died in the disaster

The body of a child is left beside a note underneath a brick on a grassy area outside one of the hospitals in Bhaktapur. On Sunday the death toll crept to 2,200 with yet more people feared to have died in the disaster

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 

The relatives of those still not heard from began arriving on Sunday alongside much needed relief from neighbouring countries. 

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.

A spokesman for the government agency said: 'Our thoughts are with the people of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh in the aftermath of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck central Nepal today, affecting more than 6.6 million people and causing widespread damage and destruction. 

'USAID is deploying a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to the region and is providing an initial $1 million in emergency assistance as we assess humanitarian needs in cooperation with the Government of Nepal. USAID is also activating an Urban Search and Rescue Team to accompany disaster experts.

'The earthquake, which hit just northwest of Nepal's densely populated capital, Kathmandu, has caused numerous buildings to collapse and made some roads impassable. 

'It also triggered an avalanche in the Mount Everest region and aftershocks of a considerable magnitude. In addition to the DART, USAID staff based in Bangkok, Thailand and Washington, D.C. are monitoring the situation closely in coordination with U.S. mission disaster relief officers in the region.

'The American people have a proud and generous history of providing help during times of crisis. USAID remains committed to helping the people of Nepal and the region during this difficult time. 

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.

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

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

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 

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 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 

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 

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 

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. 

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. 

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 6.9 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 

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

With the death toll steadily creeping up (to 2,500 on Sunday), 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. 

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.

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.

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. 

Some 56 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.  

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.  

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  

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  

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

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.

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.

'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.  

Officials in India said the death toll there now stood at 53. Chinese state media said 17 people had been killed in the Tibet region.

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. 

President Barrack Obama has been briefed on the situation but is yet to release a full statement. 

Secretary of State John Kerry said: 'I join the people of the United States in expressing our deepest condolences to all of those affected by today's earthquake in Nepal, including the families of those who died in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.

'We are working closely with the government of Nepal to provide assistance and support. Ambassador Bodde has issued a disaster declaration in order to immediately release an initial $1 million for humanitarian assistance. 

'USAID is preparing to deploy a Disaster Assistance Response Team and is activating an Urban Search and Rescue Team to accompany disaster experts and assist with assessments of the situation.

'To the people in Nepal and the region affected by this tragedy we send our heartfelt sympathies. The United States stands with you during this difficult time.'

British 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.'   

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.'

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. 

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 

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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