They’ve been using their bare hands as the authorities struggle to send equipment up rubble-strewn roads, and some villages lie in ruins. 

The official death toll stands at more than 2,100, but there have been repeat warnings that this is likely to increase as the scale of the devastation gets clearer.

Frances Mao, Laurence Peter and I are here to keep you informed – including with the latest material sent to us by our correspondents on the ground.