Nepal quake toll touches 10,000

"The death toll could go up to 10,000 because information from remote villages hit by the earthquake is yet to come in," media reports quoted  Prime Minister Sushil  Koirala as saying.

"The government is doing all it can for rescue and relief on a war footing," he added. "It is a challenge and a very difficult hour for Nepal," he said.

The  Himalayan nation was hit by a fresh tremor measuring 4.5 on the Richter Scale on Tuesday.

The epicentre of the quake, which is located at latitude 28 degree north and latitude  85.4 degree east, hit the country at 4:50 hrs IST.

Thousands of people are still camped outside in Nepal's capital Kathmandu, huddled under makeshift tents. Food, water and fuel are running scarce.

Relief and rescue operations were stepped up on Monday.

In 1934 when the country was hit by another massive earthquake, 8,500 people lost their lives.

Koirala was abroad when the 7.9 magnitude quake occurred on Saturday. He returned on Sunday.

He  appealed for foreign assistance and said Nepal needed tents and medicines for  hundreds of thousands of survivors who have been either rendered homeless or are sleeping outdoors following the dozens of aftershocks.

The Prime Minister said more than 7,000 people were injured and their  treatment and rehabilitation is a challenge to the government. 

Foreign aids have already started coming in the country but the flow is said to have been slowed down by the rush of people at the international airport-all trying to leave.

According to an estimate of the  United Nations,  eight million people have been affected by the quake.