REPORTS are coming in of a man from Stroud who is stuck in Nepal after the 7.8 earthquake which rocked the country on Saturday.

Keith Eyles had just finished a month-long holiday to Nepal and was visiting a village to the north-west of the capital, Kathmandu.

He was visiting his guide's family in Aarughat to give them presents when the earthquake struck.

In texts to his wife Sally Davies from Rodborough, he told her how he and the other 75 villagers were safe and sleeping outside.

All the houses in the village were flattened and the cattle were all killed.

Keith also reported that the road to the village has been completely destroyed. With no electricity in the village he told his wife he could be stuck there for weeks.

Aftershocks have hit the country since Saturday and people have grouped in open spaces putting up tents as shelter.

Nepal police have confirmed that the death toll is now at 3,617.

In a statement Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said: “There are several hundred British nationals in Nepal at this time of year and we expect that almost certainly some will have been caught up in the earthquakes. But at this moment we have no reports of any British nationals killed or injured.

“British Embassy staff are on the ground and have provided practical help to around 200 British nationals. Teams of consular staff have also been out scouring hospitals, hotels and areas popular with tourists looking for British nationals who may need assistance.

“Damage to communications infrastructure caused by the earthquakes is making it difficult to contact people who may have been trekking in remote areas so it may be some time before we, working with the tour companies, are able to identify who is in Nepal and to account for them.”

The Department for International Development has fast tracked aid to the country with £3m going to partners to address immediate needs on the ground and a further £2m to The British Red Cross.

If anyone has friends in Nepal, contact SNJ reporter, Megan Titley at megan.titley@stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk or call on 01453 769423.