UPDATE: A 77-year-old Somerset woman nicknamed Dora the Explorer after setting up a trekking company at the age of 69 has been found safe and well initially following the devastating earthquake in Nepal

Norah Arscott, born in Somerset, and listed as living in Cudleigh, Devon had been listed as missing on the International Committee of the Red Cross Nepal earthquake website.

Mrs Arscott, a retired nurse was originally reported missing after the quake but ITV have reported that she has been found.

ITV said: "Nora Arscott, 77, from Somerset but believed to be living in Devon has made contact with her family."

Humanitarian volunteers and emergency service crews from the UK have begun a search and rescue mission in Nepal following the earthquake which left more than 4,000 dead and thousands of others injured.

Communication problems in the worst-affected areas mean families and friends around the world are still anxiously waiting for news of their loved one, with dozens of British and Irish people among those missing.

Aid workers on the ground have reported "huge logistical difficulties" as road closures and communication problems have thwarted some efforts.

Leigh Daynes, UK director of medical charity Doctors of the World, said: "Nepal's health system was vulnerable before the earthquake, especially in rural areas.

"Now hospitals are utterly incapacitated, infrastructure has been decimated and thousands of people are sleeping on the streets. With monsoon season only weeks away, this is a catastrophe of the highest order and demands an urgent medical response.

"We are facing huge logistical difficulties. As well as roads being closed, aftershocks have prevented planes from landing at Kathmandu airport.

"The challenge now will be the organisation of relief. We also need to give credit to the solidarity of the Nepalese, who were the first to respond and have worked tirelessly for 48 hours.

"Operations have started, but we're facing a huge lack of material to carry out important medical surgery."

An RAF plane packed with supplies has been dispatched to the crisis zone, while charity workers, experts and firefighters from across the UK have already begun the search for survivors.

It came as emergency services in Nepal said more than 4,000 people have died in the disaster, with many thousands more injured.

The 7.8-magnitude quake struck just before midday on Saturday, sending tremors through the Kathmandu Valley and the nearby city of Pokhara.

Mike Adamson, chief executive of the British Red Cross, said: "As the death toll continues to rise, it is our absolute priority to continue the search and rescue operations and get aid to those left stranded.

"The Red Cross has been working in the Kathmandu valley for the last three years, informing communities of what to do in the event of an earthquake. But though many of the newer buildings have survived, the older infrastructure was not able to withstand the force of the earthquake.

"Our thoughts go out to all those affected and we urge people to give to our emergency appeal to support Red Cross staff and volunteers to respond."

Some 67 firefighters from the International Search and Rescue Team (UKISAR) are among those helping.

The team will be able to provide specialised, technical search and rescue assistance in collapsed structures. This will include locating and rescuing people, canine support, medical teams, engineering, assessing the damage and stabilising scenes.

UK spokesman Roy Wilsher said: " The earthquake has devastated Nepal and we want to ensure we are doing everything we can to help. The team which has gone out are all highly trained professionals who will be offering as much assistance in the rescue endeavour on the ground as they possibly can."

Eight volunteers from Salisbury-based charity Serve On's international rescue team arrived in Nepal just before lunch today.

Tracy Milton from the charity said: "The team at the moment are liaising with the UN co-ordinators and are actually taking part in the first search at the moment.

"We don't know exactly where they are at the moment because of the limited information and haven't had any updates other than that they have arrived and started searching.

"They will be getting limited sleep and rest for the next few days, and they are just concentrating on searches where there is a good chance of getting people out alive."

The Foreign Office said it had not received reports of any Britons being killed or injured but embassy staff have assisted 200 people.

The quake also set in motion an avalanche which swept the face of Everest, killing at least 17 people and injuring 61, government officials said.

In a message to Nepalese president Ram Baran Yadav, the Queen said today she was "shocked to hear of the appalling loss of life and injuries" caused by the earthquake in Nepal, adding that her "thoughts and prayers are with the victims".

Andrew Lee, disaster management expert and a lecturer with the University of Sheffield, said Nepal will be dependent on aid from countries such as the UK "for years" as it begins a slow recovery from the devastating earthquake that could last a decade.

Aid agencies from across the world are heading to the country to help in the huge relief effort, but their services will be needed long into the future, he warned.

He said: "The search and rescue effort is only a very short-term issue for a few days. I would expect it will cost hundreds of millions of pounds to rebuild the city. At least a decade of development will be lost because of this disaster."

:: Anyone who is caught up in the incident or worried about a family member should call the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on +44 (0) 207 008 0000. To donate, call 0370 60 60 900 or visit the website dec.org.uk.