Nearly 1,000 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, Tibet and on Mount Everest.
The government has declared a state of emergency in the affected areas.
A national police spokesman told the BBC that 970 people had died in the quake, and that more than 1,700 had been injured. At least 539 people were killed in the Kathmandu valley, he added.
Nepali Information Minister Minendra Rijal said there had been "massive damage" at the epicentre, from where little information is emerging.
Get the latest updates on the Nepalese earthquake
"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.
The US is sending a disaster response team to Nepal and has released an initial $1m (£0.7m) to address immediate needs, the US aid agency USAid has said.
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.
World's deadliest recent earthquakes
- Iran, 2003: More than 26,000 people killed in 6.6 earthquake near the city of Bam
- Indonesia, 2004: Devastating 9.1 earthquake and ensuing tsunami off the Sumatran province of Aceh kills more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries
- Pakistani-administered Kashmir, 2005: 7.6 earthquake near Muzafferabad kills about 100,000 people
- China, 2008: Nearly 90,000 killed in 7.9 earthquake in eastern Sichuan province
- Haiti, 2010: More than 220,000 people killed in 7.0 magnitude earthquake
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