Nepal earthquake: Britain gives shelter to 65,000 displaced people

Britain has provided emergency shelter to more than 65,000 displaced people in Nepal, the government has said.

It is planning to send nearly 20,000 more shelters as aid agencies deliver emergency supplies to those displaced by the earthquake of 25 April.

The international development secretary said the majority of shelter kits were in place before the earthquake hit.

This meant temporary homes were provided to thousands within 24 hours of the quake, Justine Greening added.

Ms Greening also praised the UK's search and rescue workers for "saving many lives".

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Nepal, triggering avalanches and mudslides and reducing whole villages to rubble.

The death toll has hit 7,500 and is continuing to climb.

At least one Briton died in the tragedy while others remain unaccounted for.

The UN estimates that eight million people have been affected by the earthquake while 2.8 million people have been displaced by it.

International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: "Our pre-positioned shelter kits meant that within 24 hours of the earthquake British aid was reaching communities who had been hit hard and providing temporary homes to thousands of people across Nepal.

"Ahead of the monsoon season, we are delivering thousands more to help the Nepalese people cope as they recover from this tragic disaster."

Rescue workers are picking through the rubble in the search for people caught up in the earthquake, but the Nepalese Government has announced the search and rescue effort is over.

The UK's 60-strong international search and rescue team is also now returning home.

The focus has now moved to aid agencies trying to get shelter, clean water and food to those left homeless by the disaster before the monsoon season arrives.

A UK Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) public appeal for donations has so far raised more than £33m, while the UK government has committed £17.5m in humanitarian aid to date.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said it was working to establish whether there were any other British nationals were among the dead.

It added that it had given "practical assistance" to more than 350 British nationals in Nepal and had arranged flights out of Nepal for around 150.

Among the Britons still missing is architecture student Matt Carapiet, 23, from Bearsted, Kent, who was trekking through Langtang Valley when the earthquake struck.

Family friend Rob Bailey said Mr Carapiet's family is continuing to endure an agonising wait to hear what happened to him.

He said: "We are waiting for the phone to ring and dreading the phone ringing simultaneously. It is a horrible feeling.

"We are hoping Matt wasn't in the village at that time.

"The only option we have got now is to be patient. The work the teams out there are doing isn't easy."