TWO firefighters from north Essex are assisting with search and rescue operations after a devastating earthquake in Morocco.
Watch manager Antony Clement and crew manager Tom Jewell are part of the UK International Search and Rescue team (UKISAR).
They have been deployed to Morocco following a 6.8 magnitude earthquake on Friday evening.
The firefighters, who are also part of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service’s Lexden-based urban search and rescue team, have joined 60 other UK search and rescue specialists.
The team is made up of firefighters and staff from 14 fire and rescue services, including four search dogs and rescue equipment.
Group manager and Essex UKISAR co-ordinator Scott Meekings said: “Antony and Tom will be using their specialist skills to save lives, supporting the local emergency teams. We’re really proud of them.”
UKISAR is on permanent standby to mobilise and assist when requested by disaster-affected countries.
Soldiers and aid teams have battled to reach remote Moroccan mountain towns devastated by the earthquake which is thought to have killed more than 2,400 people, with survivors desperate for help to find loved ones feared trapped under the rubble.
At least 2,476 others were injured, Morocco’s interior ministry said.
Moroccan officials have so far accepted government-offered aid from just four countries – Spain, Qatar, the UK, and the United Arab Emirates – with some foreign rescue teams claiming they are awaiting permission to deploy.
The United Nations estimates that 300,000 people were affected by Friday night’s earthquake, made more dangerous by its relatively shallow depth.
Aftershocks have since hit the zone, causing more fear and anxiety in areas where damage has left buildings unstable.
The UKISAR team will be completely self-sufficient and provide its own food, water, shelter, sanitation, communications, and all necessary equipment to undertake search and rescue operations for up to 14 days.
This is to ensure no additional burden is placed upon a country already suffering demands on its resources following a sudden onset disaster.
All UKISAR staff are trained to use specialist kit and the equipment being taken will ensure the team has the ability and capacity to lift, cut, and remove concrete and rubble from collapsed structures.
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