relief efforts intensified in katmandu on sunday as nepal continues to reel from powerful aftershocks and a devastating earthquake that left more than 3,200 dead.









the international effort geared up to hunt for survivors and provide aid as a second american victim was identified as one of 18 who died on mount everest in a massive avalanche triggered by saturday's magnitude-7.8 earthquake.









marisa eve girawong, of edison township in new jersey, was working as a base camp medic for a seattle-based group leading a mountain-climbing expedition. the former physician's assistant joined madison mountaineering a year earlier.









relief groups, which began arriving in nepal in large numbers sunday, say there is still time to save lives. government agencies and aid groups began rushing doctors, volunteers and equipment into nepal as katmandu's international airport reopened. some aid vehicles were able to travel overland from india to the stricken nepalese city of pokhara.









"that means supplies could potentially come in overland from india. that is a positive sign," said ben pickering, save the children's humanitarian adviser in britain. "the airport opening is a small miracle."









the pentagon dispatched a cargo plane sunday to nepal with about 70 disaster-relief and rescue personnel and their gear to aid the earthquake-ravaged country. the air force c-17 is expected to arrive in nepal on monday, according to army col. steve warren, a pentagon spokesman.









pickering cautioned that chaotic conditions may create a bottleneck at the airport as governments and aid agencies try to bring in personnel and supplies in the coming days.









unicef said sunday that at least 940,000 children in areas affected by the earthquake are in "urgent need" of humanitarian assistance. unicef staff reported dwindling water supplies, power and communications breakdowns.









"day two is just as bad as day one. we get the aftershocks every five minutes," said basanta adhikari of biratnagar, in eastern nepal.









adhikari said his uncle was killed in katmandu on saturday near where he was admitting his son to a hospital.









"he was standing at a shop with his friend chatting when the earth started shaking. he ran out to try to survive, but to no avail as a tall house fell on him, and he was buried under the rubble," adhikari said.









vast tent cities have sprung up in katmandu. the earthquake, the strongest to hit the country in 80 years, destroyed swaths of the oldest neighborhoods and was strong enough to be felt all across parts of india, bangladesh, china's region of tibet and pakistan.









with people fearing more quakes, many nepalese felt safer spending the night under chilly skies, or in cars and public buses. sunday's aftershocks made people only more tense.









"there were at least three big quakes at night and early morning. how can we feel safe? this is never-ending and everyone is scared and worried," katmandu resident sundar sah told the associated press. "i hardly got much sleep. i was waking up every few hours and glad that i was alive."









nepal authorities said sunday that at least 2,430 people died in that country alone, not including the 18 dead on mount everest. another 61 people died from the quake in india and a few in other neighboring countries. at least 5,900 have been injured. with search and rescue efforts far from over, the death toll is expected to rise.









but as the first stunned survivors of the avalanche on mount everest reached katmandu, they said that dozens of people may still be missing and were almost certainly dead.









"the snow swept away many tents and people," said sherpa, a guide the first group of 15 injured survivors to reach katmandu.









those 15 survivors, most of them sherpa guides or support staff working on everest, flew from lukla, a small airstrip not far from everest. none were believed to be facing life-threatening injuries, but many limped to a bus taking them to a nearby hospital, or they were partially wrapped in bandages.









the overwhelming devastation destroyed or damaged many of nepal's traditional temples, palaces and historic sites.









the dharahara tower, one of nepal's most famous landmarks, was reduced to little more than a pile of rubble. up to 180 people were killed and 200 people were trapped in what was left of the structure, britain's guardian newspaper reported.









the world reacted quickly to the disaster, offering money, relief materials, equipment, expertise and rescue teams to the country of 28 million people that relies heavily on tourism, principally trekking and himalayan mountain climbing.









the u.s. mission in nepal released an initial $1 million for immediate assistance. australia pledged $5 million in aid. pakistan, and britain said they would assist in the relief effort.









at the vatican, pope francis led prayers for the dead and those injured in the massive earthquake. he called for assistance for survivors, and "all those who are suffering from this calamity," during his weekly sunday blessing.









rescuers were continuing to dig through the rubble of concrete, bricks, wood and iron to hunt for survivors.









in one particularly harrowing incident sunday, police in katmandu's kalanki neighborhood managed to save a man who was trapped under a dead person. his family stood nearby crying and praying.









police were eventually able to dig out the man, who was surrounded by concrete and iron beams. his legs and hips were crushed under the weight of the debris.









contributing: naila inayat in lahore, pakistan; cheryl makin in edison, n.j.; tom vanden brook and doug stanglin in mclean, va.; the associated press
relief efforts to find survivors intensify amid powerful aftershocks
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