World religious leaders have offered prayers for the thousands who perished in Nepal's deadly earthquake which has left most parts of the mountainous country in rubble.

Many religious leaders have offered prayers including Pope Francis who commiserated with temblor victims after Sunday Mass.

The April 25 earthquake reached magnitude of 7.8 according, the U.S. Geological Survey and by nightfall on April there more than 4,000 deaths registered from Nepal' worst natural disaster.

Francis led the Regina Coeli prayer with the crowds that gathered at Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican.

He expressed his "closeness to the populations struck by a powerful earthquake in Nepal and neighboring countries."

"I pray for the victims, for the wounded, and for all those who suffer because of this calamity," he said.

Earlier in the day, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin sent a telegram to the Apostolic Vicariate of Nepal to offer condolences to those who died in the earthquake.

"His Holiness was deeply saddened to learn of the earthquake and the resultant loss of many hundreds of lives in Nepal, as well as in neighboring countries," stated the telegram, which was sent to Bishop Paul Simick.

"He expresses his solidarity with all affected by this disaster and assures those who grieve for deceased family members of his closeness in prayer."

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"He offers encouragement to the civil authorities and emergency personnel as they continue their rescue efforts and assistance to those touched by this tragedy," Parolin said in the telegram. "Upon them all he invokes the blessings of the Almighty as a pledge of healing and consolation."

Meanwhile, the Tibetan Buddhist leader Dalai Lama expressed grief over the deadly earthquake, telling Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala in a letter that the Himalayan country remains close to his heart because it provides a refuge for many Tibetans.

"The people of Nepal and Tibetans have been neighbours throughout history and many Tibetan refugees live in Nepal," the Dalai Lama said in the letter. "I offer my condolences to you and to those who have lost members of their families, friends and their homes in this tragedy."

The death toll for Nepal does not include others who died in nearby areas such as Tibet in China and India.