A British rescuer in Bhuj, the town close to the quake's epicentre, says there is little hope of finding anyone else alive. The earthquake, which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale, flattened much of the north-western state of Gujarat and damaged buildings in neighbouring Pakistan. Officials in the state of Gujarat say the death toll could reach 20,000 although other estimates have put the figure much higher. Click here to send us your experience of the earthquake Conditions in the disaster zone remain grim, as thousands of homeless people require urgent assistance. The BBC's Jill McGivering says that many people in Bhuj are living in makeshift shelters and food and clean drinking water are scarce.
Security forces are also on alert after reports of looting in some areas.
Hospitals destroyed Many hospitals, badly damaged in the quake, are treating people in the open air and there is a shortage of medical supplies and doctors. Correspondents say the stench of death is everywhere and funeral pyres are burning continuously as the authorities race to prevent any outbreaks of disease. Tens of thousands of people have fled Gujarat, as aftershocks continue. A railway official said people were heading for Bombay, Delhi and Rajasthan. Frontieres are also on the scene.