DHAKA: The death toll in the Nepal earthquake has reached 5057, reported the official Twitter handle of National Emergency Operation Centre, Nepal.

The toll in could reach 10,000, said Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on Tuesday, ordering intensified rescue efforts and appealing for foreign supplies of tents and medicines, reports the dnaindia.com.

 If the death toll does reach 10,000, that would be even higher than the 8,500 killed in a massive 1934 quake, the Himalayan nation's worst disaster to date.

International aid has finally begun arriving in the Himalayan nation of 28 million people after the major quake that struck at about midday on Saturday.

Nepal has told aid agencies it did not need more foreign rescue teams to come and help in the search for earthquake survivors, because its government and military could cope, said the national head of the United Nations Development Programme.

The 10 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams, sent to Nepal for rescue operations have till now saved 11 people, and pulled out 73 dead bodies from debris. But without communications, road or electricity, operations are tough, says SS Guleria, DIG (Operations and Training).

Nepal on Tuesday thanked India for extending a "blank cheque" and taking initiative in launching relief operations in the aftermath of Saturday's killer earthquake, which was followed suit by other countries.

Ambassador-designate of Nepal Deep Kumar Upadhyay also expressed concerns on "congestion on Kathmandu airport" that was hampering taking aid to the victims.

BDST: 0850 HRS, APR 29, 2015
RS