Monday, April 27, 2015

Terrifying Earthquake Hit Kathmandu

The eerie moment hundreds of birds filled the sky as terrifying earthquake hit Kathmandu: Spooky footage emerges of flock fleeing crumbling buildings

  • Video captures moment 7.9-magnitude earthquake hits the Nepalese capital
  • Begins with peaceful scene as music plays and people chat in background
  • Calm shattered when tremor struck, burying people under piles of rubble
  • More than 3,700 people have been killed since disaster struck on Saturday
This is the eerie moment hundreds of birds suddenly filled the sky when the devastating earthquake rocked the Nepalese capital, destroying buildings and burying people under mountains of rubble.
The terrifying footage was taken as the 7.9-magnitude quake hit Kathmandu in a disaster that has killed more than 3,700 people across the region.
It begins with a peaceful scene showing blue skies above the city while music plays and people chat happily in the background at around noon on Saturday.
But the calm is shattered when the massive tremor strikes, violently shaking buildings, smashing plates and sending people running for cover in the city's historic Durbar Square.
Hundreds of birds are then seen fleeing the area en masse as a huge cloud of dust is spewed high above the city, darkening the sky. 
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Caught on video: Hundreds of birds fill the sky above Kathmandu as a massive earthquake hits the Napalese capital in a disaster that has killed more than 3,600 people across the region
Caught on video: Hundreds of birds fill the sky above Kathmandu as a massive earthquake hits the Napalese capital in a disaster that has killed more than 3,600 people across the region
Eerie: The calm was shattered when the massive tremor hit, violently shaking buildings in the Nepalese city's historic Durbar Square
Eerie: The calm was shattered when the massive tremor hit, violently shaking buildings in the Nepalese city's historic Durbar Square
Calm: The video began with a peaceful scene showing blue skies above the city while music plays and people chat happily in the background
Calm: The video began with a peaceful scene showing blue skies above the city while music plays and people chat happily in the background
The video, published by Sozcu TV and Live Leak, emerged as thousands of Nepalis began escaping the capital today, terror-stricken by two days of powerful aftershocks and fearing shortages of food and water after the earthquake struck. 
Roads leading out of the mountain valley city of one million were jammed with people, many with babies in their arms, trying to climb onto buses or hitch a ride aboard cars and trucks.
Huge queues had formed at Kathmandu airport with people desperate to get a flight out.

Many said they had slept in the open since Saturday's quake, either because their homes were flattened or they were terrified that aftershocks would bring them crashing down.
'We are escaping,' said Krishna Muktari, who runs a small grocery store in Kathmandu city, standing at a major road intersection. 
'How can you live here? I have got children, they can't be rushing out of the house all night.' 
A Nepalese police officer walks among the rubble of collapsed buildings after the earthquake in Kathmandu
A Nepalese police officer walks among the rubble of collapsed buildings after the earthquake in Kathmandu
A man walks through destruction caused by the earthquake, in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu
A man walks through destruction caused by the earthquake, in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu
Race against time: A rescue team with a sniffer dog search for survivors among the rubble in Bhaktapur on the outskirts of Kathmandu after a devastating earthquake struck the region on Saturday
Race against time: A rescue team with a sniffer dog search for survivors among the rubble in Bhaktapur on the outskirts of Kathmandu after a devastating earthquake struck the region on Saturday
A Nepalese man carries a child as he walks past destroyed buildings in Bhaktapur, just outside Kathmandu
A Nepalese man carries a child as he walks past destroyed buildings in Bhaktapur, just outside Kathmandu
Grim task: Rescue teams identify bodies dug out of the collapsed Sitapyla church in Kathmandu
Grim task: Rescue teams identify bodies dug out of the collapsed Sitapyla church in Kathmandu
Members of the Nepalese army pull a dead body from the rubble of a collapsed building in Kathmandu
Members of the Nepalese army pull a dead body from the rubble of a collapsed building in Kathmandu
Overwhelmed authorities were trying to cope with a shortage of drinking water and food as well as the threat of disease.
The sick and wounded were lying out in the open in Kathmandu, unable to find beds in the devastated city's hospitals. 
Surgeons set up an operating theatre inside a tent in the grounds of Kathmandu Medical College. 
PayPal announced it was waiving fees for donations to several aid organisations. 
'We are overwhelmed with rescue and assistance requests from all across the country,' said Deepak Panda, a member of the country's disaster management.
Turkish Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) members attend a rescue operation among the debris of a house after a powerful earthquake hits Kathmandu
Turkish Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) members attend a rescue operation among the debris of a house after a powerful earthquake hits Kathmandu
Salvaging their life's possessions: People collect their remaining belongings and food from the rubble after the earthquake that destroyed homes in Kumalpur village, on the outskirts of capital Kathmandu
Salvaging their life's possessions: People collect their remaining belongings and food from the rubble after the earthquake that destroyed homes in Kumalpur village, on the outskirts of capital Kathmandu
An elderly woman mourns in front of her destroyed home in the Kumalpur village, just outside Kathmandu
An elderly woman mourns in front of her destroyed home in the Kumalpur village, just outside Kathmandu
Meanwhile, high in the Himalayas, hundreds of climbers were staying put at the Mount Everest base camp where a huge avalanche after the earthquake killed 17 people in the single worst disaster to hit the world's highest mountain. 
A desperate helicopter rescue mission was under way today, with one British mountaineer there speaking of a 'race against time' to pluck around 120 people to safety as food runs out.
James Grieve, 52, speaking over a satellite phone from Camp One said that the rescue effort was being hampered by storms and the party's supplies would last only a few more days. 
He was speaking as terrifying amateur video footage emerged of a massive avalanche – triggered by the quake – hitting Everest base camp. 
Reduced to rubble: Nepalis gather at the top of large mound where a temple once stood to view the scene of devastation in Kathmandu after the 7.9-magnitude quake hit the Nepalese capital
Reduced to rubble: Nepalis gather at the top of large mound where a temple once stood to view the scene of devastation in Kathmandu after the 7.9-magnitude quake hit the Nepalese capital
Devastation: Thousands of Nepalis began escaping the capital today, terror-stricken by two days of powerful aftershocks and fearing shortages of food and water after the earthquake struck
Devastation: Thousands of Nepalis began escaping the capital today, terror-stricken by two days of powerful aftershocks and fearing shortages of food and water after the earthquake struck
Authorities were trying to cope with a shortage of drinking water and food and the threat of disease
Authorities were trying to cope with a shortage of drinking water and food and the threat of disease
Nepal's mountaineering department said at least 18 people had been killed and 61 were injured in the avalanche, while an unknown number were still missing.
Mr Grieve, of Kinross, Scotland, told The Sun: 'Everyone is apprehensive about what's happening and what will happen in the next 24 hours. We have a few days of food and drink left. 
'Our tents have all been lost and we have around 18 dead bodies at base camp. 
'Rescue teams are struggling to get us help due to the weather and the next few days' forecasts are not great. 
'There is a lot of confusion in the camp and there are still about 120 of us here waiting to be rescued. We are in a race against time to get off the mountain.'
He estimated up to 50 people had been killed and said there was a plan for helicopters to rescue them today, although 'the choppers are only taking two people off at a time'.
He said he believed it could be Wednesday when they would be brought to safety but warned of a forecast metre of snow which could set search teams back. 
A man takes a selfie at the historic Dharahara Tower, a city landmark, that was damaged in the earthquake
A man takes a selfie at the historic Dharahara Tower, a city landmark, that was damaged in the earthquake
Locals take pictures with their mobile phones at the historic Dharahara Tower, a city landmark, that was damaged in Saturday's earthquake in Kathmandu
Locals take pictures with their mobile phones at the historic Dharahara Tower, a city landmark, that was damaged in Saturday's earthquake in Kathmandu
Wrecked: Volunteers help remove debris at the historic Dharahara tower after the earthquake in Kathmandu
Wrecked: Volunteers help remove debris at the historic Dharahara tower after the earthquake in Kathmandu
On Twitter yesterday, Mr Staniforth's UK-based support team revealed the difficulty caused by the weather.  
They said: 'Alex has just texted via sat phone. They will spend another night at C1. Weather has drawn in making it too difficult to fly choppers.'
After the 6.7-magnitude aftershock, Mr Mazur tweeted: 'Aftershock @ 1pm! Horrible here in camp 1. Avalanches on 3 sides. C1 a tiny island. We worry about icefall team below.. Alive?'
He later said: 'Icefall scouts back w/ news: GOOD: route is there. BAD: it sustained damage. V BAD: icefall Sherpas bc gone; ran away to Namche!'
His latest tweet, sent on Monday morning, read: 'Helicopters are now rescuing climbers and sherpas from Camp One on Everest, back down to Base Camp.' 
Danish climber Carsten Lillelund Pedersen posted dramatic footage on his website Use The World of one of the first rescue helicopters to reach Everest. 
It shows it landing on rocky terrain and two rescuers in yellow and black clothing being led to those in need of help. 
Residents rescue items from debris of a house that was damaged in Saturday's earthquake in Kathmandu
Residents rescue items from debris of a house that was damaged in Saturday's earthquake in Kathmandu
Seeking solace: A Hindu Nepalese woman prays at Indrayani temple after it was destroyed by the earthquake
Seeking solace: A Hindu Nepalese woman prays at Indrayani temple after it was destroyed by the earthquake
A Nepalese man prays next to a building damaged in Saturday's earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal
A Nepalese man prays next to a building damaged in Saturday's earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal
People pray before cremating the body of a victim of Saturday's earthquake, along a river in Kathmandu
People pray before cremating the body of a victim of Saturday's earthquake, along a river in Kathmandu
The horrifying video of an avalanche hitting Base Camp was taken by climber Jost Kobusch, who worked in the Special Forces in the German Mountain Army. 
He said he felt the ground shaking and saw people sprinting away from the cloud of snow.
Dutch climber Eric Arnold described in a moving blog the horror of walking through Base Camp, which he described as a 'crash site'.
He wrote: 'We walk through the base camp and see if we can help somewhere. We can not do anything. In the morning the weather is equally clear. 
'At that time, 35 wounded by helicopter to Kathmandu transported. Seventeen people have sadly deceased by the disaster. 
'The camps of Adventure Consultants and Summit Climb are particularly badly hit. 
'I see very personal stuff - a log book, shampoo, slippers, reading glasses, everything. It reminds me of the images of a crashed plane. BC is nothing more than a crash site at this time. 
'Some deaths have a face, a cameraman who walked two days in our camp is no longer alive.' 
A member of the Indian Air Force carries a Nepalese child who was wounded in Saturday's earthquake
A member of the Indian Air Force carries a Nepalese child who was wounded in Saturday's earthquake
A Nepalese family rest in their makeshift shelter next to a road in Kathmandu two days after the quake
A Nepalese family rest in their makeshift shelter next to a road in Kathmandu two days after the quake
A child peeks out of a hole in a temporary tent in an open ground in Kathmandu after a powerful earthquake followed by strong aftershocks struck Nepal, in Kathmandu, Nepal
A child peeks out of a hole in a temporary tent in an open ground in Kathmandu after a powerful earthquake followed by strong aftershocks struck Nepal, in Kathmandu, Nepal
Earthquake survivors line up as an Army tank provides drinking water in an open ground in Kathmandu
Earthquake survivors line up as an Army tank provides drinking water in an open ground in Kathmandu
Carnage: Footage from a helicopter shows the devastation across huge swathes of land in Nepal
Carnage: Footage from a helicopter shows the devastation across huge swathes of land in Nepal
Rescue teams, helped by clear weather, used helicopters to airlift scores of people trapped at higher altitudes
Rescue teams, helped by clear weather, used helicopters to airlift scores of people trapped at higher altitudes
A man is pulled alive from the ruins as his friend lies lifeless next to him in Swyambhu in the Kathmandu Valley yesterday after he was trapped for nearly 24 hours
A man is pulled alive from the ruins as his friend lies lifeless next to him in Swyambhu in the Kathmandu Valley yesterday after he was trapped for nearly 24 hours
Nepal's mountaineering department said at least 18 people had been killed and 61 were injured in the avalanche, while an unknown number were still missing. 
Rescue teams, helped by clear weather, used helicopters to airlift scores of people stranded at higher altitudes, two at a time.
Across Kathmandu and beyond, exhausted families laid mattresses out on streets and erected tents to shelter from rain. 
People queued for water dispensed from the back of trucks, while the few stores still open had next to nothing on their shelves. Crowds jostled for medicine at one pharmacy.
The United Nations Childreds Fund said nearly one million children in Nepal were severely affected by the quake, and warned of waterborne and infectious diseases. 
Amateur video footage shows how a group of climbers ran for their lives as the Nepal earthquake hit at Everest Base Camp yesterday
Amateur video footage shows how a group of climbers ran for their lives as the Nepal earthquake hit at Everest Base Camp yesterday

HUNDREDS OF CLIMBERS STRANDED ON EVEREST AWAITING RESCUE

More than 700 climbers are stranded on Mount Everest awaiting helicopters after the avalanche blocked off all access points.
Between 17 and 19 people were killed when ice and rock crushed the base camp on Saturday.
On Sunday morning, a fleet of six helicopters managed to lift 22 of the most injured climbers and sherpas to Kathmandu for treatment.
But bad weather, continued aftershocks, and poor communication has scuppered subsequent trips, leaving hundreds stranded.
The avalanche started on the nearby 23,000-foot Mount Kimori, which sent ice and rock speeding down the mountain towards the base camp.
Aftershocks, measuring around 6 on the Richter scale, have continued to pile snow on to the remaining trails, meaning it is no longer safe to attempt a climb down.
More than 700 climbers are stranded on Mount Everest awaiting helicopters after the avalanche blocked off all access points
More than 700 climbers are stranded on Mount Everest awaiting helicopters after the avalanche blocked off all access points
One expedition instructor, Daniel Mazur, managed to tweet an update from the mountains at midday Eastern Time.
He informed his followers a route had been found but it is badly damaged. Most of the sherpas assisting their climb, he said, have fled to the nearby village of Namche.
Another, Adrian Ballinger, tweeted from the Tibetan side of the Himalayas.
He said the survivors have shared 'shots of blessed whiskey, hugs and smiles' as they await rescue.
American cardiologist Ellen Gallant has been providing medical assistance to the injured climbers that missed the helicopter.
She told AFP how, despite their efforts, one young Nepali man died due to lack of treatment.
'Of the nine patients, one of them died last night - a 25-year-old sherpa. His blood pressure had fallen - there was nothing we could do.
'When you go to medical school, you learn to focus on the task at hand. But now that things have settled down, it's hit me hard. That young man... shouldn't have to die.'
Footage shows a huge wall of snow and debris hurtling towards Everest Base Camp as climbers run for cover
Footage shows a huge wall of snow and debris hurtling towards Everest Base Camp as climbers run for cover
In the temple town of Bhaktapur, east of Kathmandu, centuries old buildings had collapsed and those that were still standing had cracks. Many residents were living in tents in a school compound.
'We have become refugees,' said Sarga Dhaoubadel, a management student whose ancestors had built her Bhaktapur family home four centuries ago.
They were subsisting on instant noodles and fruit, she said.
'No one from the government has come to offer us even a glass of water,' she said. 
'Nobody has come to even check our health. We are totally on our own here. All we can hope is that the aftershocks stop and we can try and get back home.'
More than 3,700 people were confirmed killed in the 7.9-magnitude quake, a police official said on Monday, the worst in Nepal since 1934 when 8,500 died. More than 6,500 were injured.
Another 66 were killed across the border in India and at least another 20 in Tibet, China's state news agency said. 
Stranded: Alex Staniforth (top) and Dan Mazur (bottom) are two of the British climbers on Everest lined up to be rescued by helicopter
Honeymooners Sam and Alex Chappatte are trapped on Everest in a team being led by Daniel Mazur
Honeymooners Sam and Alex Chappatte are trapped on Everest in a team being led by Daniel Mazur
Dr Steven Godby, an expert in natural hazards at Nottingham Trent University, said: 'Tectonically active, steep mountainous areas with high rainfall are amongst the most hazard-prone environments in the world. 
'As we are seeing, an earthquake can not only cause extensive damage and loss of life through the direct effects of ground shaking, but also through secondary impacts such as landslides and avalanches. 
'Access to remote communities will be restricted by landslides and no doubt helicopters will be in great demand as they were during the 2005 Kashmir earthquake.
'The relief effort is gearing up and making use of the 'cluster system', which is now the basis of international humanitarian coordination in disasters like that unfolding in Nepal. 
'Good coordination is vital in these kinds of emergencies and clusters are groups of humanitarian organisations working in sectors of need such as shelter, logistics, food security and health. 
'Clusters are created when there are numerous humanitarian organisations operating in a disaster situation and when national authorities need support.
'The government of Nepal is leading the response to the earthquake with support from a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team. 
'It is important that the provision of aid is based on need rather than capacity and the cluster system was devised to ensure a coherent, organised approach.'
The toll is likely to rise as rescuers struggle to reach remote regions in the impoverished, mountainous country of 28 million people and as bodies buried under rubble are recovered. 
'There is no electricity, no water. Our main challenge and priority is to restore electricity and water,' said home ministry official Laxmi Prasad Dhakal.
'The next big challenge is the supply of food. Shopkeepers are unable to go in and open their shops. So people are facing difficulty buying food.'
Several countries rushed to send aid and personnel.
India flew in medical supplies and members of its National Disaster Response Force. China sent a 60-strong emergency team.
Pakistan's army said it was sending four C-130 aircraft with a 30-bed hospital, search and rescue teams and relief supplies.
A Pentagon spokesman said a U.S. military aircraft with 70 personnel left the United States on Sunday and was due in Kathmandu on Monday. 
Australia, Britain and New Zealand said they were sending specialist urban search-and-rescue teams to Kathmandu at Nepal's request.
Britain, which believes several hundred of its nationals are in Nepal, was also delivering supplies and medics.  
However, there has been little sign of international assistance on the ground so far, with some aid flights prevented from landing by aftershocks that closed Kathmandu's main airport several times on Sunday.  
Facebook has activated its 'Safety Check' feature in response to the earthquake in Nepal. 
The feature, launched in October, allows users to tell friends and family they are safe if they are in the middle of a disaster area.
Facebook engineers in Japan started development on the feature after the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami.
The Kathmandu earthquake is one of the first natural disasters where it has been used.
Video footage shows climbers emerging from their tents to find the Everest Base Camp flattened
Video footage shows climbers emerging from their tents to find the Everest Base Camp flattened
Rescuers in Nepal are searching frantically for survivors of the huge earthquake, which has killed thousands
Rescuers in Nepal are searching frantically for survivors of the huge earthquake, which has killed thousands
Google, which lost an employee in an avalanche as a result of the earthquake, has activated its own disaster tool called 'Person Finder' and is updating satellite imagery to help with relief efforts.
Google is also donating $1million toward relief efforts, the company said. 
The disaster has underlined the woeful state of Nepal's medical facilities.
Nepal has only 2.1 physicians and 50 hospital beds for every 10,000 people, according to a 2011 World Health Organization report.
Rajiv Biswas, Asia Pacific chief economist at business research firm IHS, said long-term reconstruction costs in Nepal using proper building standards for an earthquake zone could be more than $5billion (£3.3bn) or around 20 per cent of the country's GDP.
'With housing construction standards in Nepal being extremely low... the impact of the earthquake has been devastating based on initial reports,' he said in an early analysis of the likely damage. 

FOREIGNERS IN NEPAL AT THE TIME OF THE DEADLY EARTHQUAKE 

Here are details released by some foreign governments on citizens who were in Nepal at the time the earthquake hit on Saturday, killing more than 3,200 people.
The 7.9-magnitude quake struck at midday at a busy time of year for tourism-reliant Nepal's trekking and climbing season, with an estimated 300,000 foreign tourists in the country, several hundred of those on Mount Everest.
Countries are listed in alphabetical order.
AUSTRALIA: 549 Australians registered as travelling in Nepal, 200 confirmed safe. No reports of Australian deaths.
AUSTRIA: Around 250 Austrians in Nepal, no reports of any casualties.
BANGLADESH: Fifty nationals, including members of the country's under-14 girls' football team, evacuated. No information on exact number of nationals in Nepal.
BRITAIN: Several hundred Britons believed to be in Nepal. No reports of deaths or injuries.
CHINA: State news agency Xinhua, quoting the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, reports four people confirmed dead and 10 seriously injured. Xinhua said at least 20 people were killed in Tibet.
COLOMBIA: Seven nationals missing. No reports of any deaths or injuries.
CROATIA: Four tourists, all accounted for.
CZECH REPUBLIC: 155 nationals in Nepal, 54 have not yet been contacted.
ESTONIA: About 30 Estonians were known to be in Nepal, according to its foreign ministry. One has been reported dead and four are unaccounted for.
FRANCE: French authorities have located 1,098 nationals, but another 674 are still not in touch. No reports of casualties.
GREECE: Two Greek nationals safe.
INDIA: Five Indians killed in Nepal, and another 66 in Indian regions over the border. So far, 1,417 Indians evacuated from Nepal.
INDONESIA: Thirty-four nationals in Nepal, 18 of them residents. Eighteen have not yet been contacted.
IRELAND: About 100 citizens in the affected region. Many have been contacted.
ISRAEL: About 600 Israelis estimated to be in Nepal. About 400 have been contacted, most of them sheltering at the embassy in Kathmandu. These include 25 couples in Nepal to bring home babies born to surrogate mothers.
ITALY: More than 300 Italians in Nepal have been traced, others not yet contacted.
JAPAN: Japan's Foreign Ministry said one Japanese man was killed and a woman was injured. Some 1,100 Japanese living in Nepal are registered with the embassy, but no information on the number of nationals travelling through.
LATVIA: Forty-one nationals have been contacted. No reports of injuries.
LITHUANIA: Fifty-five Lithuanian nationals in Nepal, of whom five were not reachable.
MALAYSIA: Two Malaysians are missing. A team of Malaysian climbers at the Everest base camp are among those who have been accounted for and are safe.
MEXICO: Twenty-eight Mexican nationals are safe. One missing.
NORWAY: About 150 nationals in Nepal, no reports of any dead or injured.
PAKISTAN: About 30 nationals have been evacuated from Nepal, no information on exact number.
PHILIPPINES: Two Filipino climbers are reported safe.
PORTUGAL: All seven Portuguese known to be in Nepal are safe.
ROMANIA: Twenty-eight Romanians in Nepal, including mountaineer Alex Gavan and three others, all reported to be safe.
RUSSIA: Tass news agency, citing Emergencies Ministry, says no casualties among Russians.
SINGAPORE: No information on the exact number, but the majority of the registered Singaporeans in Nepal have been contacted.
SRI LANKA: Around 100 Sri Lankans have sought help for evacuation. No casualties reported.
SOUTH KOREA: Three nationals injured in the earthquake. 650 residents and as many as 1,000 travellers are estimated to have been in Nepal.
SWEDEN: Around 150 Swedes known to be in Nepal, no reports of casualties. Most have been accounted for.
TAIWAN: Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said 179 Taiwanese were in Nepal at the time of the quake. Of those, 152 had been confirmed safe, the whereabouts of the other 27 were unknown.
THAILAND: Sixty-six Thais, including six medical students, are reported to be safe.
UNITED STATES: Three Americans killed.
Names of those missing in Nepal begin to emerge 
Families and friends of those in Nepal when the quake struck have been scrambling for information about their well-being. No Britons have been confirmed as dead, but the Red Cross has produced a list of those who are still missing.
Mitchell Carpenter (top), 23, from Aberdeen and Michael Walker from Devon are missing in Nepal following the huge earthquake
The number of Americans missing, meanwhile, has risen to at least 101. 
On Sunday night, new posts were submitted to the missing persons register for Mendy Losh and Danny Cole, two friend from New York's Crown Heights district.
Cole, a father of four, and Losh had planned to embark on a climb up Everest after arriving in Nepal last week, according to Facebook posts from their friend Zevi Steinhauser.
A 32-year-old adventurer from Colorado Springs, Andrew Lamar Goggans, is also missing, as is 62-year-old Beverly Brooks Brown from Biloxi, Mississippi, and 26-year-old Philadelphia man Benjamin Schneider. 
Mendy Losh (left) and father-of-four Danny Cole (right), from Crown Heights in New York, have been registered missing in Nepal
Aaron Lamar Goggans, a 32-year-old adventurer from Colorado, is also missing
At least 101 missing Americans: Mendy Losh (top, on the left) and father-of-four Danny Cole (top, on the right), from Crown Heights in New York, have been registered missing in Nepal. Aaron Lamar Goggans (bottom), a 32-year-old adventurer from Colorado, is also missing
Missing: Josh Edwards, 19 (top), and Dawn Lightfoot, 30, (bottom) are among the American citizens still unaccounted for 
Fears: Michelle Page, 50 (top), and Christine Bedenis are also still missing. Authorities and charities are struggling to piece together information to send back to families 
A British tourist volunteering at a school in Nepal is among those believed to be safe.
Paula Nightingale, 45, is said to have escaped serious harm when the earthquake struck as she was helping out at the Mondo Challenge Foundation project in Helambu.
Her friends in West Wittering, West Sussex, were anxious for news of the 'kind-hearted chatterbox' following the disaster.
It finally came the following day when a school trustee sent a tweet confirming that Ms Nightingale, a former cruise ship director, was safe.
Friend Susie Macmillan said: 'We were pretty frantic, waiting for news.
'Paula was adopted but both her adoptive parents had died and she doesn't really have any family so we were worried that nobody would know to look for her.
'My husband said we would give it a couple days then he would get his backpack on and go looking for her.
'Paula and I have been very close friends for years, and my children all know her as Auntie P.
'We were obviously very concerned, and then the tweet finally came. It was just such a relief.'
An Australian killed in the Mount Everest avalanche, meanwhile, has been named as 49-year-old Melbourne woman Renu Fotedar. 
She was killed when the avalanche hit Base Camp.
Trekking company Dreamers Destination confirmed that Ms Fotedar had been killed and the company was trying to return her body to Kathmandu.
Ms Fotedar completed an MBA at the University of Wollongong before setting up a business in Melbourne in 2005, according to her social media profile.