As a 6.7 aftershock jolted Nepal on Sunday, authorities confirmed that 2,152 people died in the massive, 7.8 earthquake that struck the previous day, destroying homes, toppling temples and ravaging infrastructure.
The officials added that 4,743 people had been injured.
In addition to the dead in Nepal, the Associated Press reported at least 61 had died in India, Bangladesh, China's region of Tibet and Pakistan, bringing the total quake toll to over 2,200 -- with indications that it could rise substantially in the coming days.
At a base camp on Mount Everest that was swept by a quake-triggered avalanche, 217 people are still missing. The Nepal Tourism Ministry reported that 32 people have been rescued from Everest, with 29 of them being treated at Lukla Hospital. Five helicopters airlifted the trekkers off the mountain, the ministry said.
Also Sunday, world leaders rallied to aid the stricken Asian nation. Australia pledged $5 million worth of aid and supplies, and the Asian Investment Bank pledged $3 million. Japan is sending a 72-person rescue team.
In Katmandu, Nepal's capital just 50 miles from the epicenter, residents reached by phone described scenes of destruction and panic.
"A couple of the major hospitals are damaged," said France Howland, a nurse in Katmandu. "Grande International is badly cracked and all the patients have been evacuted."
"Another hopital, Norvick, has also been badly damaged. They're seeing patients outside across the road. The main hospital, which is called Teaching Hospital, is fully functioning. All the new buildings downtown are OK. There are taxis on the streets."
Howland felt the powerful aftershock around 2 p.m. "We have a lot of aftershocks, but this one was really significant. When that happened, people were really freaked out and running in the streets."
Tamdim Dorjee, a Katmandu resident reached by phone, said: "They're warning that earthquakes can happen at any time. No One is sleeping indoors. All the buldings are empty. All the pople are out on the football grounds and other open spaces.
"The hosptials are very crowded. The army and soldiers are doing hard work digging people out of houses and collecting dead bodies. Many people are still under the rubble. There is no modern maachinery to pick up the bricks. Everything is by hand. There is no electricity. We are not getting much news, but the newspapers were published. I read the Katmandu Post."
Sujit Thapa, a Nepalese man working for an automotive company in Japan, was in Kunming, boarding a plane for Katmandu. He'd been in touch with his family by phone and said most of the houses in his village, Bhaktapul, had collapsed.
"The cement houses are still standing but they're cracked so it's scary to go in."
Thapa said he was traveling when he got a BBC alert on his phone saying the quake had struck. He was unable to reach his family for six hours. When he got through, he learned they were OK.
"I'm frustrated as well as tense. I'm dying to meet my family. I know there have been no serious casualties in my family but I want to confirm with my own eyes."
Thapa said he has been living in Japan for seven years.
"I'm quite habituated to earthquakes in Japan. I'm used to it. But in Japan houses are built to resist earthquakes. In Nepal, it's a hodgepodge. There's no planning. That's why there were so many casualties."
He mentioned the 8.0 earthquake that hit Nepal 80 years ago.
"When I was a kid, my grandmother always talked about that earthquake. She said the dust rolled through the valley like a smog. Everyone was 100% sure that if something like that happened again, the death toll would be very high. It's a problem, 50-50 of being a poor country and the government not being strict."
He said he's supporting his family financially.
"Now I will have to help them rebuild their houses. I can't send back much because Japan is expensive, but the money goes a long way in Nepal. In Nepal $300 a month is a good salary."
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