A Brighton woman is among those feared missing following the devastating earthquake in Nepal.

Tara Bradshaw, of Queens Park Road, Brighton, is travelling in the country before doing a master’s degree next year.

The 24-year-old’s boyfriend Alex Parry posted a message on Google’s Person Finder in a bid to track her down.

He told a national newspaper: “She’s very resilient.

“I think she would have been scared. But as long as she was not hurt, she would have done everything she could to help.”

Rescue operations and aid efforts will continue today as the country assesses the scale of the death and destruction inflicted by a powerful earthquake.

More than 1,800 people were killed after the 7.8 magnitude quake struck just before midday yesterday, sending tremors through the Kathmandu Valley and the nearby city of Pokhara.

The majority of fatalities were reported in Nepal, with deaths also being confirmed in India, Tibet, Bangladesh and the Nepal-China border.

The UK has deployed an eight-strong team to provide urgent humanitarian support for those affected by the disaster.

Experts in search and rescue are travelling to Nepal overnight and will begin work assessing the scale of damage, and helping local authorities to direct the response.

About an hour after the initial quake, a magnitude 6.6 aftershock hit and smaller aftershocks could be felt through the region for hours.

Mountaineering guide Ang Tshering said an avalanche swept the face of Mount Everest after the earthquake and government officials said at least 17 people were dead and 61 injured.

Several Britons are among those stranded on the world's highest peak, with access to its base camp cut off.

Those in the Nepal described the impact of the quake.

Tanya Barron, CEO of Plan International UK, who is on a scheduled visit, said she was on the top floor of a building when it started to "shake violently".

Sarah Blin, Handicap International's Programme Director in Nepal, said: "The earthquake was devastating and the earth trembled again several times in the day.

"Many buildings collapsed, especially outside Kathmandu. The population is in shock. The people rushed outside and moved to evacuation centres. Many will spend the next few nights outside, and are in need of camping equipment, especially the most fragile people."

"Hospitals are overwhelmed, and are short of staff and medical supplies. With roads blocked and difficult or interrupted communications, the situation is particularly problematic for remote villages."

A team of 14 volunteer rescuers from UK charity Search and Rescue Assistance in Disasters are set to fly out to Kathmandu today, taking with them 1.5 tonnes of specialist equipment to help them rescue people in collapsed buildings.