PM says Nepal quake toll could be 10,000

People sleep on the ground in an open area on early morning after an earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal April 28, 2015.[Photo/Agencies]

Slept in the open

Many people across Nepal slept in the open for a third night, their homes either flattened or threatened by tremors that spread more fear among a traumatised population.

In Kathmandu, as elsewhere, thousands are sleeping on pavements, roads and in parks, many under makeshift tents.

Hospitals are full to overflowing, while water, food and power are scarce, raising fears of waterborne diseases.

There were some signs of normality on Tuesday, however, with fruit vendors setting up stalls on major roads and public buses back in operation.

But with aid slow to reach many of the most vulnerable, some Nepalis were critical of the government.

"The government has not done anything for us," said Anil Giri, who was with about 20 volunteers looking for two of his friends presumed buried under rubble. "We are clearing the debris ourselves with our bare hands."

Officials acknowledged they were overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster.

"The big challenge is relief," said Chief Secretary Leela Mani Paudel, Nepal's top bureaucrat.

"We urge foreign countries to give us special relief materials and medical teams. We are really desperate for more foreign expertise to pull through this crisis."