Nepal Earthquake: California Man Describes 'Terrifying' Shaking at Kathmandu Hotel

— -- California native Will Clements was in a hotel in Nepal's capital Kathmandu when the devastating earthquake struck Saturday.

"It was terrifying, I've never experienced anything quite like this before," he told ABC affiliate KGTV in San Diego. "I saw plumes of dust come up from rooftops and the whole -- everything was shaking."

Clements wrote on Instagram, "Cleaners went from laughing to running when they realized how serious it was, and I followed suit. My legs were shaking so bad I couldn't tell if it was me or an aftershock."

Clements also posted a photo of hotel guests sleeping outside in case of aftershocks.

"The neighborhood has set up shop for a night under the stars," he wrote.

The magnitude-7.8 quake toppled temples and was followed an hour later by a magnitude-6.6 aftershock. Smaller aftershocks followed for several hours.

Noah O'Brien, from Ohio, was about 20 miles east of Kathmandu when the quake hit, according to ABC affiliate WCPO-TV in Cincinatti.

His mother, Nancy Simpson, told WCPO her son called and said, "Mom, mom -- oh my god, things are falling down. Things are crashing,"

According to WCPO, O'Brien told his mother he "was seconds away from death."

The quake hit about 50 miles northwest of Kathmandu just before noon local time Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

At least 2,100 people have been killed in Nepal, the country's Interior Ministry told ABC News on Sunday. The State Department has confirmed three U.S. fatalities.

More than 1,000 others were injured, said the country's finance minister, Ram Sharan Mahat.

At least 51 were also killed in India, 17 in Tibet, two in Bangladesh and two Chinese citizens died at the Nepal-China border.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.