[Ammi]

More than 100 people are known to have died in a powerful earthquake that struck Nepal, wrecking many historic buildings, officials have said.

The quake measured 7.9 and struck an area between the capital Kathmandu and the city of Pokhara, the US Geological Survey said.

Tremors were felt across the region, as far afield as Pakistan, Bangladesh and neighbouring India.

A Nepali minister said there had been "massive damage" at the epicentre.

"We need support from the various international agencies which are more knowledgeable and equipped to handle the kind of emergency we face now," Information Minister Minendra Rijal.

Bodies have been pulled from the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kathmandu

Among those wrecked was the landmark Dharahara tower, with many feared trapped in its ruins.

After the earthquake struck, concerned residents came out into the streets. Mobile phones and other communications have been disrupted.

There are also reports of damage to the airport in the capital. Injured people have been brought to the main hospital.

"It was very scary. The earth was moving... I am waiting for treatment but the [hospital] staff are overwhelmed," a labourer who injured his arm in a collapsing wall told AP.


Aftershocks could still be felt across the region sometime after the initial quake.

Mountaineer Alex Gavan tweeted that the quake caused an avalanche on Mount Everest.

The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has held meeting with ministers to review the situation. Pakistan's Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, has pledged help for the Nepalese authorities.

It is thought to be the worst earthquake to strike Nepal since the devastating one in 1934, which all but destroyed Kathmandu


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-32461019