Nepal has urged countries to send aid to help it cope with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that killed nearly 1,400 people — a toll that was predicted to rise as rescuers used their hands to dig for survivors among the rubble on Sunday.
Thousands of people braved freezing temperatures and patchy rain to sleep on pavements, in parks or in fields in the crowded Kathmandu Valley, too afraid to return to homes damaged by a 7.8-magnitude quake that struck at midday on Saturday.
"We have launched a massive rescue and rehabilitation action planm and lots needs to be done," said Information and Broadcasting Minister Minendra Rijal. "Our country is in a moment of crisis, and we will require tremendous support and aid," he told Indian television.