Local rescuers ready to help China

11:33am Tuesday 13th May 2008

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A GLOUCESTERSHIRE based disaster response team is waiting for the nod from Chinese officials to help earthquake survivors.

RAPID-UK, with its headquarters in Quedgeley, is a voluntary search and rescue organisation, which responds to international disasters.

The team currently has two crews on standby waiting to head to China to help in the rescue operations after an earthquake of 7.8-magnitude hit the south-western Sichuan province on Monday.

It is estimated that the quake has already killed at least 8,500 people.

John Holland, operations director for RAPID-UK, said: "We have teams on standby but we are waiting to hear from the Chinese authorities.

"Once we are out there our initial focus will be search and rescue trying to locate people trapped in the buildings and rubble.

"We also have medical personnel and a smaller technical search team. They have a lot of people on the ground there already but they will be lacking the specialist equipment which we can provide."

Once they get the go ahead it could take the RAPID-UK teams up to a day to get to the Chinese disaster area to help.

A member of RAPID-UK is also working with the Department for International Developments on helping with rescue work in Burma following the cyclone last weekend.

RAPID UK is an acronym for Rescue And Preparedness In Disasters and was formed in 1996. The Organisation has members from across the South of England including Gloucestershire, Norfolk and Cornwall.

For updates on RAPID-UK visit, www.rapiduknews.org.uk