Nepal Earthquake: Death toll over 3,000

International media have confirmed that at least 3,326 people are now known to have died in a massive earthquake that hit Nepal on Saturday. The National Emergency Operation Centre reports that more than 6,500 people have been injured, while dozens are also reported to have been killed in neighbouring China and India.

Thousands have spent a second night outside after the 7.8-magnitude quake, which also triggered deadly avalanches on Mount Everest, and vast tent cities have sprung up in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, for those displaced or afraid to return to their homes as strong aftershocks continue.

"We don't have a choice, our house is shaky. The rain is seeping in but what can we do?" 34-year-old shopkeeper Rabi Shrestha, who was sleeping by the roadside with his family, told the AFP news agency.

Rescue missions and aid have started arriving to help cope with the aftermath of the earthquake, which was the worst to hit Nepal for more than 80 years. The weather cleared on Monday morning and helicopters are heading out to the Mount Everest base camp to try to bring down 210 stranded climbers.

The roads to the earthquake's epicentre, northwest of the capital, have also been cleared and rescue teams are on their way, while efforts to dig victims out from under the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kathmandu are also continuing.

Home ministry official Laxmi Prasad Dhakal told Reuters that rescuers were "in a really bad shape" after working non-stop for two days. "We are all about to collapse."

Officials have warned that the number of casualties could rise as rescue teams reach remote mountainous areas of western Nepal and initial reports suggest that many communities - especially those close to mountainsides - suffered significant quake damage.

"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," World Vision spokesman Matt Darvas said.

Reuters news agency reported that in Dhading district, 80km west of Kathmandu, people were camped in the open, the hospital was overflowing, the power was off and shops were closed.

A powerful aftershock was also felt on Sunday in Nepal, India and Bangladesh, and more avalanches were reported near Everest.

The 6.7-magnitude tremor, centred 60km (40 miles) east of Kathmandu has sent people running in panic for open ground in the city.