nepal-victim
A relative places a flower over the body of a family member who died in Saturday's earthquake during a cremation along a river in Kathmandu, Nepal, April 28, 2015. Reuters

Officials have confirmed the deaths of nearly 5,000 people from the Nepal earthquake; however, many expect that number to rise dramatically as searchers comb through cities and villages reduced to rubble. The government Tuesday declared three days of mourning for the victims of the quake.

"In memory of the Nepali and foreign brothers and sisters and elders and children who have lost their lives in this devastating earthquake, we have decided to observe three days of national mourning from today,” Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said in a televised address, according to the BBC.

Behind the official death toll numbers and rebuilding estimates are the stories of individuals whose lives were literally and figuratively upturned by a magnitude-7.8 earthquake that jolted the South Asian country Saturday. A worldwide humanitarian effort is underway to bring food, shelter and medicine to the survivors of the massive quake after their homes and villages crumbled.

Many in Nepal took to social media in the wake of the disaster to share stories of families torn apart by the quake. There also are accounts from people making the best of a terrible situation.

Juju Bhai was the only person in his family to survive the tremor after their house collapsed. Like many Nepali, Bhai did not have home insurance and now is living in a nearby shelter, the Nepali Times reported. He cremated his family Monday.

A 6-year-old child was reportedly found alive underneath a massive collapsed bell in the Swayambhu area of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. A Nepalese journalist photographed the spot where the child was found.

Search and rescue teams used sniffer dogs to look for victims trapped in the rubble in Kathmandu.

Then there are the stories of resilience in the face of great loss. Despite some rain, a couple married under a tent in Kathmandu just four days after the temblor brought the city to its knees.

Widespread power outages have meant many people are without electricity. Mobile phone users shared chargers in “harmony.”

Those left homeless sought shelter from aid groups. Officials were struggling to keep pace with demand. Residents fearing aftershocks have been sleeping in tents amid concerns buildings weakened by the earthquake would collapse.

Sunita Sitaula spent 33 hours beneath a fallen building in Kathmandu before rescuers were able to free her. She was reunited with her husband and two sons, and is now taking refuge at a school, local media reported.