Ian Taylor, from Dublin, is a trekking specialist who runs trips throughout the Everest region of Nepal and was in the centre of Kathmandu when the earthquake hit.

Yesterday he spoke to the Sunday Herald about the terrifying chaos and devastation in the capital.

"The earthquake started when I was sitting in the lobby of the hotel. All of a sudden, the whole place started moving. I ran outside and I could see buildings around the city rocking and people screaming - it was pure carnage. I couldn't stand up and the two people with me clung on to my arms for their lives.

"The minute the earthquake stopped I looked around. Two buildings were totally cracked and came falling down. We then had to run as a building fell right beside us. The buildings are so poorly made they just crumble. Thankfully, they're made of stone so there are no fires.

"As a trekking group, some of us have medical training. We tried to help, but it was completely impossible with the buildings coming down everywhere. Also, every time there are any minor after-tremors people stampede.

"The response from the government has been totally non-existent. I've seen two helicopters overhead but on the streets, absolutely nothing.

"There has been no medical response, I've seen about 50 people just thrown on the back of motorbikes to be taken to a hospital, but no ambulances. The police are around to try and stop the looting rather than actually helping anyone.

"I have a friend who's a Sherpa and he told me that ten of his family have died in this disaster so far.

"There are people sleeping all over the streets. There are no systems here, no communication and no infrastructure. We have no water, no food, nothing at all. From what I've seen, and from what we've heard there must be thousands dead.

"At the moment we're set up in our tents as we had just come out of the mountains. We're in an open area just in case anything does come down overnight. Earlier, we went down by the river which is covered in filth and dirt with ancient temples just falling apart.

"Climbing Everest and experiencing a lot of risk in my life I have never seen anything like this before.

"The people here have so little anyway ... Something like this is going to devastate the country. I'm just hoping and praying that the people up in the mountains are alive if they've also been hit with the same force that we have."