The government of Nepal has declared a state of emergency after a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck the country and killed hundreds of people, and touched off a deadly avalanche on Mount Everest.

Police said that at least 1,130 people were killed on Saturday in the powerful quake that shook 80km east of Pokhara, about half way between the town and the capital Kathmandu.

Of the total, 634 were reported dead in the Kathmandu Valley and at least 300 more in the capital, a police spokesman told Reuters news agency.

Photos posted on Twitter showed buildings left in rubble, large cracks along roads and worried residents on the streets.

The earthquake destroyed many historical landmarks, including the UNESCO World Heritage temples at Basantapur Durbar Square and the Dharara tower, both in central Kathmandu.

It has been reported that around 250 people may have been in the Dharara tower when it collapsed. At least 50 people are believed to be trapped under an ancient tower in Kathmandu which collapsed in the quake.

Emergency workers and army and police personnel, with the help of residents and bystanders, continued to work tirelessly early Saturday afternoon to clear the rubble from these sites and to rescue any survivors from under the debris, although most of the bodies that are being pulled out are lifeless.

As night falls in the country, thousands of people are staying outdoors and have found refuge in Kathmandu’s open spaces, in fear that subsequent aftershocks may cause further damage.

The epicentre was 80km northwest of Kathmandu. The Kathmandu valley is densely populated with nearly 2.5 million and poorly enforced building regulations.

PHOTO CAPTION

People search for survivors in the rubble of a destroyed building after an earthquake hit Nepal, in Kathmandu, Nepal, 25 April 2015.

Al-Jazeera