The quake struck the west of the country as many people were already asleep on Friday night.

Witnesses said it caused houses to collapse and cut communications to many villages.

The earthquake happened at 11:47pm (6.02pm GMT) in the Jajarkot district of Karnali province - 310 miles west of the capital Kathmandu.

Nepal's National Seismological Centre said the magnitude was 6.4, while the US Geological Survey (USGS) put it at 5.6.

Local media showed collapsed houses, while social media videos showed people running into the street.

"Houses have collapsed. People rushed out of their homes. I am out in the crowd of terrified residents. We are trying to find details of damages," said a police official.

Rescuers worked overnight to pull injured people from the rubble. However, landslides in some areas blocked roads and made access difficult.

Medical personnel and supplies were being flown in by helicopter - with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal joining one flight.

Ninety-two people were confirmed dead and 55 injured in Jajarkot, said police spokesman Kuber Kadayat.

He said at least 36 also died and more than 80 were injured in neighbouring Rukum district.

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Witnesses said the tremors were felt as far away as Kathmandu and New Delhi in India.

The quake occurred at a depth of 11.1 miles (17.9km), according to the USGS.

Earthquakes are common in Nepal - a 7.8-magnitude quake in 2015 killed about 9,000 people and damaged around a million structures.