Worthing and Shoreham firefighters in Nepal earthquake rescue mission

FIREFIGHTERS from Worthing and Shoreham have flown out to Earthquake-hit Nepal to aid the rescue effort.

Antony Walker, from Shoreham, and Joe Sacco, of Worthing, are part of the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service’s Technical Rescue Unit supporting the international search and rescue effort.

The country was hit by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake on Saturday, leaving nearly 4,000 people dead, thousands injured and an unknown number trapped under rubble.

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The team flew from Stansted Airport last night (Sunday, April 27) and are scheduled to land in Kathmandu later today.

The team has taken more than 11 tons of equipment with them, including search cameras, listening devices, breaking and breaching tools and jacking and lifting gear, all designed to locate and safely rescue trapped casualties.

The Technical Rescue Unit, which is based in Horley but whose members live across the county, is equipped to respond to disasters at home and abroad and has previously been deployed to earthquakes in Indonesia, Haiti, Japan and New Zealand.

It is part of a UK team of 67 responders including search and rescue crews, four search dogs, a medical support team and hazardous materials specialists.

Click here for news of Worthing and Shoreham volunteers caught up in the earthquake.