(Transcript from SBS World News Radio)
Hundreds of thousands of Nepalis have spent another night in the open after a massive quake that's killed more than four thousand people.
Officials say the final toll could rise sharply once rescuers reach isolated mountain areas.
Manny Tsigas reports.
(Click on the audio tab above to hear the full report)
There are fears rising of food and water shortages, and Nepalis are trying to stock up on essential supplies in the capital Kathmandu.
In the Nepali capital, electricity is in short supply.
The search for survivors continues in almost complete darkness.
But amid the devastation, there is hope.
A Turkish rescue crew has managed to pull one man to safety.
Kathmandu's hospitals are still bursting with patients.
Eight year old Selena Dehahl is one of them.
She was playing inside her home when the quake struck.
Her grandfather, who was outside at the time, describes the horrific moment he saw the house collapse on her.
"Initially, I thought she was gone, covered under bricks and tin sheets as the house collapsed. But I somehow managed to pull her out. She was bleeding and had bruises all over her body."
Others in more remote parts of the country fared even worse.
As India's air force carried out a huge rescue operation in the country's Ghorka district, scenes of more death and destruction were revealed.
Villagers have told the BBC of the conditions they've been facing since the earthquake struck.
"We are starving and have nothing. Some of our villages have no water. There are dead bodies just lying around. We can't even burn them."
Among those airlifted to safety is Dutch tourist Annette Vriends.
She spent three frightening days near Nepal's border with China's autonomous region of Tibet where hundreds died, including tourists.
"I'm now getting emotional. You just hang on. (struggles) You just hang on. Anyway, I'm glad I survived."
US Filmmaker Michael Churton was among dozens of people at the base camp of Mount Everest when the quake struck.
Already one of the most dangerous sites in the world, he recalls the moment a wall of ice and snow came crashing down.
"Everything was gone. All our tents were gone and then people were pushed. The guy who stood in front of me was now 30 feet over there. And we are missing one person. We don't know if she is alive or dead."
British climber Nick Talbot was trying to become the first person with cystic fibrosis to reach the top of Mount Everest.
"There was what I can describe as a huge white tsunami coming towards the tents. It hit me, slammed me into the ground. I consider myself extremely lucky. One of my teammates didn't survive and a number of others didn't survive."
Back in Kathmandu, clouds of smoke linger as mass funerals take place and bodies are cremated.
Many are choosing to spend their nights outdoors, either too afraid to go home or without a home to go to.
Anyone trying to leave Kathmandu faces even more challenges.
Petrol stations remain shut due to damage from the quake or a lack of staff.
And any drivable roads are clogged with traffic - much of it buses packed with Indian migrants trying to flee.
"I am very afraid. Lots of houses have fallen down, there's no food. There are lots of big houses that haven't collapsed, but everyone's sleeping outside. It's not safe. There's nothing here for me now."
As Nepal's government faces criticism over its slow response to the crisis, it's appealing to the international community for everything from blankets to helicopters.
Simon Eccleshall, from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, says the flow of aid over the next few days is crucial.
"There are issues to do with water as well if there's heavy rainfall, that can lead to the subterranean structures in some of these buildings becoming flooded. We also have risks of spread of disease, etcetera, over the coming weeks related to the water, the precipitation issues."
Germany has sent a team to inspect the condition of local water supplies while France, Spain and China have dispatched search and rescue crews.
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