A 7.9-magnitude earthquake has struck Nepal and India, killing nearly 700 people. The most severe damage was seen in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, where buildings collapsed, reportedly causing numerous injuries.

“The number of dead so far is 449,” Police Deputy Inspector General Kamal Singh Bam said.

Thirty-six bodies have been counted so far by Kathmandu’s main civil hospital. In addition, 21 bodies were seen on the ground, reported Nepal’s Kantipur TV.

“Hundreds of people are feared dead and there are reports of widespread damage to property. The devastation is not confined to some areas of Nepal. Almost the entire country has been hit,” Krishna Prasad Dhakal, deputy chief of mission at Nepal’s embassy in New Delhi, said.

It occurred 33km east of Lamjung District and 80km northwest of Kathmandu, which has a population of about 1 million. The quake was at a depth of 31km.

Everyone is out in the streets of Kathmandu and people are rushing to hospitals, local media reported.

Reuters witness said a child has been killed in a town near Kathmandu when a statue fell in a park. A 15-year-old girl also reportedly died in India after the tremor brought a house wall down.

According to witnesses at least one body was removed from the tower and a second lay further up the road. About 50 people are now being trapped inside the collapsed tower, Nepal media reported.

Some tremors were reportedly felt in some cities in eastern and northern India, including the capital, New Delhi, said JL Gautam, Head Operations Seismology of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

“News has come in about an earthquake in Nepal. Several parts of India also experienced tremors,” Indian PM Narendra Modi tweeted.

People were seen running from their houses after the buildings shook for several minutes in Delhi and parts of the National Capital Region.

Also tremors were felt in the cities of Patna, Lucknow, Kolkata, Jaipur and Chandigarh.

The quake caused an avalanche on Mount Everest, mountaineer Alex Gavan tweeted from Mount Pumori, about 8km (5 miles) west of Mount Everest, tweeted.

“Everest base camp huge earthquake then huge avalanche from [Mount] pumori. Running for life from my tent. Unhurt. Many many people up the mountain,” Gavan wrote. RT