Dozens of Australians missing after more than 1,800 killed in Nepal quake

Dozens of Australians are among the missing after a massive earthquake killed more than 1,800 people Saturday as it tore through large parts of Nepal, toppling office blocks and towers in Kathmandu and triggering a deadly avalanche at Everest base camp.

Officials said at least 1,170 people are known to have died in Nepal, making it the quake-prone Himalayan nation's worst disaster in more than 80 years.

Family and friends of people missing can log onto the Red Cross Family Links website for more information.

Sydney-born film-maker Zyra McAuliffe is also missing in Nepal and her friends are appealing on social media for her.

Friends of Sydney film-maker Zyra McAuliffe have been appealing for help after the Nepal earthquake. Photo: Twitter

The family of orphanage worker Ballantyne Forder, from Perth, have been appealing for information on her whereabouts on social media.

Her sister Amanda-Sue Markham has been appealing for information on Twitter.

My sister at centre of earthquake was working in a baby’s orphanage,” she said.

“Last heard of nine hours ago. If you know how to pray, please do so for the safety of my sister.”

Perth pair Callumn Shalley and Shannen Wynne are also believed missing in the quake zone.

A 59-year-old woman and 18-year-old man from Melbourne, Zachary Sheridan, 20, from Adelaide, and a 43-year-old man are also among the Australians missing on the Red Cross website where family and friends can post names of the missing.

Zachary Sheridan's brother Hugh, who is an actor, posted this photo of them on his Facebook page as he appealed for information.

Zachary Sheridan from Adelaide is believed to be missing after the deadly quake in Nepal. Photo: Facebook

Liam Coburn Oliver, 18, and his aunt Dianne Joy Coburn, 59, are believed to be among the missing, AAP reports.

Liam's brother Darcy Oliver says on Twitter that he is searching for information about Liam, who was travelling from Change, in Nepal's east, to Dharpani on the Annapurna Circuit.

The aunt and nephew have been reported missing in Nepal. Photo: Facebook

Alyssa Azar from Toowoomba in Queensland is also climbing Mount Everest and was aiming to be the youngest Australian to climb to the top of the summit.

The following message was posted on Facebook since the quake to tell her loved ones she is ok and is staying positive.

It said: "There was an earthquake and avalanche at the foot of Everest today.

"Alyssa has contacted us and let us know that she was out climbing when this happened but is back at Base Camp now safe and sound.

"She is feeling good and waiting to see what results come from this. A few climbers have been freaked out which is understandable. This is just a reminder that no one ever 'conquers' Everest or any mountain.

"Mother Nature is in control and the climbers must manage themselves and their state of mind in order to do the best they can.

"Thanks for those who have messaged to check on Alyssa."

Alyssa Azar from Toowoomba was aiming to be the youngest Australian to climb Mount Everest, she survived the earthquake and has been able to post on Facebook. Photo: Facebook

But the final toll from the 7.8 magnitude quake could be much higher, and dozens more people were reported killed in neighbouring India and China.

"The death toll has reached 1,170," Nepal police spokesman Kamal Singh Bam told AFP, adding that rescue efforts were still underway.

Emergency workers fanned out across the Himalayan nation to rescue those trapped under collapsed homes, buildings and other debris.

Offers of help poured in from governments around the world, with the United States and the European Union announcing they were sending in disaster response teams.

"Deaths have been reported from all regions except the far west. All our security personnel have been deployed to rescue and assist those in need," Bam told AFP.

The Red Cross (IFRC) said it was concerned about the fate of rural villages close to the epicentre of the quake northwest of the capital Kathmandu.

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"Roads have been damaged or blocked by landslides and communication lines are down preventing us from reaching local Red Cross branches to get accurate information," said IFRC Asia/Pacific director Jagan Chapagain in a statement.

Officials said 10 people were killed when an avalanche buried parts of Mount Everest's base camp in Nepal where hundreds of mountaineers have gathered at the start of the annual climbing season.

"We don't have the details yet, but 10 have been reported dead so far, including foreign climbers," Gyanendra Kumar Shrestha, an official in Nepal's tourism department, told AFP.

"We are trying to assess how many are injured. There might be over 1,000 people there right now, including foreign climbers and Nepalese supporting staff."

Emergency workers and bystanders clear debris while searching for survivors under a collapsed temple in Basantapur Durbar Square. Photo: Getty

AFP Nepal bureau chief Ammu Kannampilly, on an assignment to Everest together with a colleague, was among those caught up in the chaos.

"We are both ok... snowing here so no choppers coming," she said in an SMS on an approach to base camp. "I hurt my hand - got it bandaged and told to keep it upright to stop the bleeding."

Experienced mountaineers said panic erupted at base camp which had been "severely damaged", while one described the avalanche as "huge".

"Huge disaster. Helped searched and rescued victims through huge debris area. Many dead. Much more badly injured. More to die if not heli asap," tweeted Romanian climber Alex Gavan from base camp.

- Historic tower collapses -

Kathmandu was severely damaged, and the historic nine-storey Dharahara tower, a major tourist attraction, was among buildings brought down.

At least a dozen bodies were taken away from the ruins of the 19th-century tower, according to an AFP photographer who saw similar scenes of multiple casualties throughout the city.

"It was difficult to breath, but I slowly moved the debris. Someone then pulled me out. I don't know where my friends are," Dharmu Subedi, 36, who was standing outside the tower when it collapsed, said from a hospital bed.

At least 42 people were known to have died in India, including 30 in the eastern state of Bihar, while buildings in the capital New Delhi had to be evacuated.

People stand on top of debris from a collapsed building at Basantapur Durbar Square watching the destruction following an earthquake. Photo: Getty

The United States Geological Survey said the shallow quake struck 77 kilometres (48 miles) northwest of Kathmandu at 0611 GMT, with walls crumbling and families racing outside their homes.

The quake tore through the middle of highways in the capital and also caused damage to the country's only international airport which was briefly closed.

Kari Cuelenaere, an official at the Dutch embassy, said the impact had swept the water out of a swimming pool at a Kathmandu hotel where Dutch national day was being celebrated.

A young man speaks on the phone in front of a collapsed building in the city center following an earthquake on April 25, 2015 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo: Getty

"It was horrible, all of a sudden all the water came up out of the pool and drenched everyone, the children started screaming," Cuelenaere told AFP. "Some parts of the city fell down, there was dust rising... There were many (rescue) helicopters."

Aftershock tremors could be felt more than two hours after the initial quake.

USGS initially measured the quake at 7.5 magnitude and later adjusted it to 7.8, with a depth of 15 kilometres.

Nepal and the rest of the Himalayas are particularly prone to earthquakes because of the collision of the Indian and Eurasia plates.

The thrust of the India plate beneath Eurasia generates a large amount of seismic activity, the USGS says on its website.

Emergency rescue workers clear debris in Basantapur Durbar Square while searching for survivors. Photo: Getty

- Tremors felt across region -

A spokesman for Nepal's home ministry said the government had released around $500 million as emergency funds for rescue operations.

India dispatched two military transport planes to help with the rescue and relief efforts and there were similar offers from around the region, including Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) said a disaster response was being flown to Nepal and that the Obama administration had authorised an initial $1 million "to address immediate needs."

Emergency rescue workers carry a victim on a stretcher after Dharara tower collapsed on April 25, 2015 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo: Getty

In Europe, Britain, Germany, Norway and Spain also pledged support and assistance.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolences to his Nepalese counterpart Ram Baran Yadav and offered to provide assistance.

China's official Xinhua news agency said that 13 people, including an 83-year-old woman, were killed in the Tibet region.

The area has a history of earthquakes, with a 6.8 magnitude quake that hit eastern Nepal in August 1988 killing 721 people. A magnitude 8.1 quake killed 10,700 people in Nepal and eastern India in 1934.