SITUATION PRIOR TO DEPLOYMENT

As more information was relayed back to the UK, the Lancashire team were alerted and asked to respond to 'C' Div HQ. The team was alerted at approximately 1045 hrs and, in accordance with the pre-determined deployment plan, within one hour all available team members were packed and ready to be deployed. The pre-determined deployment plan includes the following:

• Rescue equipment - over one tonne boxed, weighed and inventoried.
• Tents & cooking facilities - pre packed and suitable for all climates.
• Food - sufficient for the team to last a minimum of one week.
• Medical requirements - including the required inoculations.

THE LANCASHIRE TEAM

The Lancashire team comprised of 11 personnel. Several members of the team had been deployed to similar disasters in the past, the earthquakes in NW Turkey in 1999 and the Armenian earthquake of 1988. The team was made up as follows:

SDO Peter Halleron - 'C' Div HQ - Field Commander

STN O Andy Barnes - B71 Blackburn - Unit Leader

SUB O Andy Wilkinson - STC

LFF Ged Richmond - B90 Burnley

A/LFF John Gallagher - C50 Preston

FF Steve Harman - C50 Preston

FF Andy Hayes - C50 Preston

FF John McKie - A11 Lancaster

FF Mark Noblet - C50 Preston

FF Mark Southworth - B71 Blackburn

FF Reg Tassiker - A31 Bispham

THE UK SEARCH & RESCUE TEAM

The full UK team, nearly 70 strong, consisted of the following organisations:

International Rescue Corps

Rapid UK

UK Fire Services Search & Rescue Team

Cheshire

Greater Manchester

Lincolnshire

Lancashire

Leicestershire

The UK Search & Rescue Team was under the command of DCFO Mike Thomas from Lincolnshire. The Department for International Development was to co-ordinate the UK response to this disaster.

During the evening of Friday the 26th the Lancashire team was instructed to rendezvous at RAF Brize Norton, and by dawn of Saturday the 27th the full UK team was assembled at Brize Norton and in a position to be deployed to India.

DEPLOYMENT TO GUJARAT

Just after 0900 hrs on Saturday the 27th, the UK team left for India, and by early evening (local time) had landed at Ahmadabad, the main city in the state of Gujarat. Our destination was to be the town of Bhuj. Transport to the area was quickly arranged, and by late evening the team departed.

Bhuj is situated in the most western part of the state, some ten hours away from Ahmadabad by road. Progress was slow, understandably, due to massive disruption to the road network. By dawn of Sunday the 28th, we were close to Bhuj. The scale of this disaster was clearly evident, as whole towns and villages had been destroyed.

By early morning the team arrived in Bhuj. The local authorities had identified an area for us to set up a base, a large open field located next to the remains of the town hall. The whole process of setting up an efficient and well-organized camp began, the local authorities quickly arranged a supply of bottled water and also a stock of fuel for our rescue tools.

Prior to departure from the UK, the Department for International Development had briefed the whole UK team as to their role in India. Teams were not to get involved with the recovery of bodies and the priority was to search for those still alive. Teams were also made aware of some of the cultural differences and also reminded that it was the host country that was in charge of search and rescue operations.

Team leaders briefed the Lancashire team as to their role in search and rescue operations. This is based upon national guidelines, service orders and also on experience gained during previous deployments. A command centre had been established in the camp, and the local police become the link between requests for assistance and the UK team. Within twenty minutes of arrival in Bhuj, the Lancashire team was ready to be deployed on search and rescue operations.

SEARCH & RESCUE OPERATIONS

Sunday 28th January

At approximately 1200hrs the team traveled to a 5-storey apartment block known as the Ashpura complex and was situated approximately 4 kms from Bhuj centre. Over 50 people were unaccounted for. The building was 90% destroyed. The team spent 4 hours searching, no one was found alive. Many people were located dead.

At 1700 hrs a 4-storey apartment block, the Kurudan complex, was the next building to be searched. The upper floors were still intact but he ground and first floor had collapsed. A sound could be heard deep inside the ground floor. The video probe identified a large void in the vicinity of the sound and the team progressed deep into the building to investigate. After much listening, it became apparent that the sounds were coming from a small dog deep inside the ground floor. The team withdrew due to the real risk of further collapse in this building.

At 2045 hrs a 4-storey apartment block, approximately 2 km from base, known as the Balaji apartments, had over 25 people missing. The Army had begun a search of the building. The Lancashire team concentrated their efforts in the area of the central staircase, access being made from the 4th floor.

Progress was slow due to compacted rubble, and heavy lifting equipment was required. It was decided to try and enter the staircase from the ground floor, close to the lobby area.

Working in a very confined space, the team managed to tunnel towards the staircase. About 5 metres into the ground floor and working in a void less than 1 metre high, the face of a young woman was identified by torchlight, still alive but out of reach of rescuers due to the decreasing amount of working space. Only her head and shoulders were visible and due to language barriers it could not be determined if the rest of her body was free.

A local man, of small build was requested to help the team inside, and working together the team tunneled nearer and finally physical contact was made with the trapped woman. Her foot was trapped by rubble and she requested a hammer to clear the debris. Working together, inch by inch, the woman was slowly pulled away from the staircase and through the ground floor. Once back at the entry point she was placed into a stretcher. Her physical condition appeared to be very good and she was talking. She had been trapped for 65 hours and was brought out alive at approximately 0100 hrs on Monday the 29th.

SEARCH & RESCUE OPERATIONS

Monday 29th January

At 0100 hrs teams were requested to continue searching the Balaji apartments. This continued until 0600 hrs at which point heavy lifting gear was required to make further progress into the building. At 0900 hrs a request came into camp to search for a missing 19-year-old man at the Pramukh Palace, a six- storey apartment block with a central staircase. To one side of the apartment block collapse was total and the accommodation to the other side of the staircase was left standing.

To search the area requested meant working right next to the 6 floors which remained standing but which were highly unstable. This was achieved by using the video probe, which can access areas unreachable to rescuers. A search dog was also used. No signs of life were evident at this time.

At 1100 hrs a team was dispatched to Vasant chambers, a small block of flats where 2 people were reported missing. One person was confirmed dead but there were no other signs of life. At 1600 hrs the team returned to the Pramukh Palace as heavy lifting machinery had exposed several voids. All survivable spaces were checked and cleared and the team returned to camp at 2130 hrs.

At 2230 hrs a search dog had indicated possible life at the Balaji apartments. Background noise which occurs during daytime reduces significantly during the night and it was decided to re-deploy the team at 0200 hrs on Tuesday the 30th. This reduction in background noise allows for more effective listening on site. By 0630 hrs every exposed void had been checked and the team returned to camp.

SEARCH &RESCUE OPERATIONS

Tuesday 30th January

At 1130 hrs a team was sent to the Ganja Jamuha apartments. No contact had been made with anyone from the apartments since the earthquake. A search was made and there were no signs of life present and the team returned at 1300hrs. At 1350 hrs the International Rescue Corps called for assistance in rescuing a live casualty from the Vishwas complex, a 5-storey apartment block.

The Lancashire team assisted and a 24-year-old man was brought out alive, physically in good shape. He had been trapped underground for more than 100 hours. At 1500hrs the team returned to the Pramukh Palace to give advice on heavy lifting techniques, the purpose of which was to remove collapsed floors and gain access to the lower floors.

At 1630 hrs a team was dispatched to the old walled part of Bhuj together with a Japanese dog team. The old part of Bhuj had suffered massive destruction. The dog team was allocated a sector to search and the Lancashire team was to be on hand to carry out a more detailed search if required. None of the dogs indicated possible life and the teams returned at 1900 hrs.

At 1700 hrs SDO Halleron traveled to Gandhi Dam, a town 50 kms away where over 100 people were missing. Regular contact was maintained with base via satellite telephone. A large number of people were confirmed dead. SDO Halleron returned back to base at 0230 hrs on the 31st. Russian teams were operating in the area and no further assistance from the UK teams was required. At 2000 hrs a team searched the Dayalal Majithia Gokul apartments. There were no indications and the team returned to base at 0100 hrs on the 31st.

SEARCH & RESCUE OPERATIONS

Wednesday 31st January

At 0900 hrs the team went back to Pramukh Palace and the Balaji apartments together with the Japanese search dogs. Heavy lifting equipment had been brought in and this was exposing survivable spaces. By 1500 hrs every possible void had been investigated and due to the fact that all the technical equipment together with the dogs had not indicated the possible presence of life, search and rescue operations at these sites were scaled down.

At 1500 a small Lancashire team were sent to Jain Bhuvan Lal Tekri, a residential area of Bhuj. Many people were confirmed dead. There were no signs of life in his area. It was at this stage that it was decided to scale down operations and hand over to fresh teams who were arriving from all over the world. The handing over of operations would commence at 1800 hrs and during the afternoon the Lancashire team worked with Turkish and French teams. Two more complexes were searched during the afternoon but no one was found alive.

The whole UK team was stood down at 1800 hrs.

At 1500 hrs on Thursday the 1st February, the team commenced their journey from Bhuj back to the UK. A 'hot' de-brief for the Lancashire team was held at camp and the issues raised have been documented and actioned. A full UK team 'hot' de-brief took place in Ahmadabad and issues raised will be discussed further at the national de-brief.

The flight departed Ahmadabad at 1300 hrs on Friday the 2nd February and after a brief stop in Bahrain, landed back at Manchester at approximately 2230 hrs.

A formal de-brief for the Lancashire team was held at C50 Preston on Wednesday the 7th February. The occupational health unit attended the de-brief and were on hand to answer any questions raised.

During the week following the return from India, team members cleaned, serviced and repacked all of the kit and equipment ready for possible deployments in the future.