Nepalese man survived four days under rubble through 'sheer will'

A Kathmandu man who was pulled from the rubble of an apartment block levelled by the earthquake in Nepal survived on grit alone, a doctor says.

"It seems he survived by sheer willpower," said Dr Akhilesh Shrestha, who treated 28-year-old Rishi Khanal.

Mr Khanal was on the second floor of the seven-storey building when the devastating 7.9-magnitude quake struck on Saturday.

The Nepali-French rescue team had to drill down through the top floors, which remained intact, after they heard him crying for help.

Trapped beside three dead bodies and with no food or water, Mr Khanal somehow managed to emerge with just a broken leg.

The death toll from the quake has now tipped 5000 and will rise, possibly to as high as 10,000, with early emergency reactions to the disaster being described as haphazard at best.

This morning Australia, which has pledged $5 million in aid for Nepal, sent two military planes to assist in rescue and recovery efforts.

The country is now in the midst of three days of mourning for the dead.

The death toll currently stands at over 5000.