A TEAM from East Lancashire charity the Al-Imdaad Foundation have arrived in Nepal to help with the aid effort following the earthquake which has left over 5,000 people dead.

The teams from Al-Imdaad are now on the ground in the country after the Bangladeshi Government facilitated entry on Sunday.

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The teams have thus far been engaged in search and rescue operations and include medical personnel who are assisting with the needs of the injured victims.

The Al-Imdaad Foundation will also be responding with essential items such as food, water purification tablets, hygiene packs, blankets and temporary shelter.

Dr Mahmood-ul-Hassan, head of the Al-Imdaad Foundation response team in Kathmandu, said: “The team arrived at night, in complete darkness and the hotel we checked in to was full of local people who were seeking refuge.

“In the first two hours, five terrifying aftershocks occurred, forcing the team to stand outside where thousands of locals stood homeless and helpless.

“The immediate needs of the population include food, temporary shelter and water as many are living on the streets without access to even the essentials of daily life.”

Cat Spear, 43, from Ramsbottom, is also in Kathmandu as part of a 15-strong team of fully trained rescue technicians.

They have arrived in Kathmandu and set up a base of operations a block east of the main airport. From there, they will be tasked by the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to search areas of the city and outlying towns and villages.

Meanwhile Accrington Stanley fans, including radio presenter Stephen Lowe, are urging people to donate to the aid relief efforts.

The Stanley fans teamed up with St Annes-based charity DCWC Nepal to fund the Seti Boske Primary School.