Indian quake death toll expected to be 10,000

Up to 10,000 people may have died from the earthquake in India, according to officials.

State government officials in Gujarat say 2,000 bodies have been recovered, but thousands remain buried under debris.

Most of the bodies have been found in Bhuj, the town nearest to the epicentre of the quake.

The quake is the most powerful to strike India for more than half a century.

State minister Haren Pandya said the death toll was at least 5,000.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee described the quake as "a calamity of national magnitude".

"We have decided to meet the emergency on a war footing. This is the time for people to rally around," he said.

The quake measured 7.9 in magnitude and struck at 8.46am local time, when many people were still asleep on a national holiday.

Pakistan was also hit, with Nepal and Bangladesh suffering tremors and aftershocks.