There is a risk of serious outbreaks of disease in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake, aid agencies have warned.

A lack of shelter, contaminated water and poor sanitation could lead to cholera, dysentery and other water-borne diseases, the charities said.

The UK's Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) said in some areas people were living and defecating in the open.

Volunteers have been helping to clear debris caused by the earthquake

The umbrella organisation, formed of 12 charities, said immediate action was needed to tackle the problem.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake is now known to have killed more than 7,000 people and injured more than 10,000.

More than 4,000 aid workers from around the world have been helping with relief and rescue operations.

A spokesman for the DEC, which has been running a major appeal to provide aid to the country, said there had already been reports of diarrhoea outbreaks and chest infections.

DEC member agencies have been working to provide better emergency shelter and to ensure drinking water and sanitation are a part of the emergency response.

The scale and cost of this aspect of the response are still being assessed but it was clear action was needed now before the rainy season starts in June, a spokesman said.

"Cholera is endemic in Nepal, so an outbreak would not be unprecedented; last year 600 people caught cholera and in 2009 a major outbreak affected more than 300,000 people," he added.

(Source: BBC)