Foreign nations sent emergency crews to reinforce those scrambling to find survivors in the devastated capital Kathmandu, as well as in cut-off rural areas, as the death toll in the Himalayan nation surpassed 2,400. A total of at least 61 died in India, Bangladesh, Tibet and Pakistan.
"Tragically, more bodies are being pulled from collapsed buildings every hour," the Australian Red Cross said in a statement.
"Communication is down in many areas. Widespread destruction, rubble and landslides are preventing access to provide aid in many villages."
Mike Bruce, regional communications manager for the Plan International aid organisation, said many areas had suffered landslides and roads were blocked.
Although mobile networks appeared to be being restored by mid-afternoon yesterday, he said, coverage remained sporadic.
"People are sleeping on the streets and cooking outside for the most part. And we are talking about very, very poor areas of Nepal - areas that are already suffering a great deal," said Mr Bruce.
Other aid organisations relayed fears that stocks of essential supplies were rapidly running out, and described the fearsome effects of the quake.
"We witnessed terrible scenes of destruction - hospitals were evacuated with patients being treated on the ground outside, homes and buildings demolished and some roads cracked wide open," said Eleanor Trinchera, Caritas Australia programme coordinator for Nepal.
A lack of electricity would soon be complicated by a scarcity of water, aid groups said, with medical supplies also dwindling, while Oxfam said morgues were reaching capacity.
"Communication systems are congested and hospitals are crowded and are running out of room for storing dead bodies," Helen Szoke, the charity's Australia chief executive, said.
Survivors continued to sleep in the open in Kathmandu at night, braving the cold for fear of being crushed by teetering buildings.
Hundreds of structures, including office blocks and a landmark nine-storey tower, crashed to the ground at around midday on Saturday (April 25) when the 7.8-magnitude quake struck.
As Nepal began to take stock of the devastation, a US disaster response team was en route and an initial $1 million (B32 million) in aid to address immediate needs had been authorised, the US Agency for International Development said.
Australia and New Zealand together pledged more than $4.5 million, and South Korea promised $1 million in humanitarian aid. India dispatched two military transport planes.
Russia said two of its planes were flying out yesterday, carrying specialist rescuers, doctors and psychologists as well as equipment including helicopters and drones.
Sri Lanka said a military C-130 aircraft carried a 48-member medical and relief team along with medicines, bandages, water and power generators, while a second aircraft would take more doctors and nurses.
Pakistan said two C-130 aircraft carrying equipment for a 30-bed hospital, food and search and rescue teams had arrived in Nepal.
A 62-member Chinese search and rescue team with sniffer dogs was on the ground in Kathmandu and a medical team would be mobilised and work started on an emergency aid plan, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Other countries providing assistance are Singapore, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Britain, Spain and Israel. Numerous aid groups and NGOs also announced help. Medecins Sans Frontieres was dispatching an inflatable hospital with a 60-80 bed capacity.
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