Destruction at the top of the world: Quake in Nepal kills 1,800

KATHMANDU, Nepal - A powerful earthquake struck Nepal on Saturday, killing at least 1,865 people across a swath of four countries as the violently shaking earth collapsed modern houses and ancient temples, and triggered a landslide on Mount Everest.

Officials warned the death toll would rise as more reports came in from far-flung areas.

Tens of thousands of people spent the night in the open under a chilly and thunderous sky. Strong aftershocks continued to jolt the region as the rescue operation got into full swing at daybreak Sunday, with workers sending out tents and relief supplies in trucks and helicopters. Most areas were without power and water.

The death toll continued to climb as more reports came in from far-flung areas, with 1,805 in Nepal alone, said Home Ministry official Laxmi Dhakal.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake, which originated outside the capital, was the worst tremor to hit the poor South Asian nation in over 80 years. It was strong enough to be felt all across the northern part of neighboring India, Bangladesh, China's region of Tibet, and Pakistan, where a total of 60 people died.

"There were at least three big quakes at night and early morning. How can we feel safe? This is never-ending and everyone is scared and worried," said Sundar Sah. "I hardly got much sleep. I was waking up every few hours and glad that I was alive."

As Nepal trembled, residents fled homes and buildings in panic. Walls tumbled, trees swayed, power lines came crashing down, and large cracks opened up on streets and walls. Clouds of dust began to swirl all around.

Within hours of the quake, hospitals had filled up with hundreds of injured people, and by Sunday, their numbers swelled to nearly 5,000. With organized relief and rescue lacking, many survivors were taken to hospitals by friends and relatives in motorized rickshaws, flatbed trucks, and cars. Residents used their bare hands, crowbars, and other tools to dig through rubble and rescue survivors.

More than two dozen aftershocks jolted the area after the first quake, which struck just before noon. At the time, Shrish Vaidya, who runs an advertising agency, was in his two-story house outside Kathmandu with his parents.

"It is hard to describe. The house was shaking like crazy. We ran out and it seemed like the road was heaving up and down," Vaidya, 46, told the Associated Press. "I don't remember anything like this before. Even my parents can't remember anything this bad."

Once the first shaking stopped, Vaidya thought his family could return indoors by evening. But the jolts kept coming, and they felt safer outdoors.

"It's cold and windy so we are all sitting in the car listening to the news on FM radio," he said. "The experts are saying it's still not safe to go back inside. No one can predict how big the next aftershock will be."

So the family ate dinner outside with the headlights of their car providing light. Vaidya said he was grateful his wife and 10-year-old son were on holiday in the United States.

In his largely affluent neighborhood of low-rise, sturdy homes in suburban Kathmandu, the damage was relatively light. In other parts of the city where the buildings are older and poorly built, people were not as lucky.

Forecasts called for rain and thunder showers Sunday and the temperatures were in the mid-50s, cold enough to make camping outside uncomfortable.

Thousands of people spent the night at Tudikhel, a vast open ground in the middle of Kathmandu, just next to the old city that is lined with historic buildings and narrow lanes. Now it is in ruins.

"We hardly slept through the night. It was cold and it rained briefly and it was uncomfortable, but I am glad I brought my family out to the open," said Ratna Singh, a vegetable vendor who was cuddled under a blanket with his wife and son. "At least I knew my family were safe."

People lay on plastic sheets or cardboard boxes, wrapped in blankets. Mothers kept their children warm; some lit a fire with whatever wood they could find. Most were eating instant noodles and cookies.

Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, who was attending a summit in Jakarta, tried to rush home but made it as far as Bangkok, where his connecting flight to Kathmandu was canceled because the capital's international airport was shut down for commercial flights.

Indian air force planes were allowed to bring in 43 tons of relief material, including tents and foods, and nearly 200 rescuers, India's External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said. The planes were returning to New Delhi with Indian nationals who were stranded in Kathmandu. India's state-run Air India announced that it would begin relief flights Sunday.

Hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley were overcrowded, running out of room for storing the dead and running out of emergency supplies, the United Nations said in a statement.

"The reports of the devastation are still coming in and the numbers of people killed, injured, and affected by this earthquake continue to rise," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said. "It is clear that very many lives have been lost. There has also been significant damage to Nepal's irreplaceable cultural heritage."