York archaeologist narrowly escapes devastating Nepal earthquake

Doctor Hayley Saul - who completed her PhD at the University of York - left a village in Kathmandu just hours before it was destroyed in the massive earthquake on Saturday.

Emma Price, Dr Saul's sister, told The Sunday Telegraph the 32-year-old was in the region working on a project about the archaeology of the Himalayas, and had been lucky to escape.

Mrs Price, 24, said: "She had just left Langtang village and that village has gone now. The path they were trekking on had gone and they had to trek another five or six hours to get to the next village. Huge boulders were falling and following them, the river was blocked in places and she was worried it would flood, the cliffs were shaking with the aftershocks.

"They were just on the path when it happened. She said they just ran. They were on the way down and there were rocks following them. The guide she was with found out that his whole family had gone. It’s some kind of apocalyptic nightmare."

When Dr Saul - who lived in York but recently moved to Australia - and her party made it to their hotel in the next village, she phoned her sister and urged her to contact the Foreign Office or British Embassy, to help rescue the people still trapped in the area.

Speaking to The Press in 2013, following a previous trip to Nepal, Dr Saul said working with villagers in the region was an essential part of finding out more about the history of life in the area - and was so moved by the monastery in Lantang, she set about raising funds for emergency renovations to the building.

She said: "I have ways of acquiring information from artefacts but I can’t get knowledge of the mountains, landscape and history without talking to the local villagers. And we met some really amazing people.

"There’s so much to do and it seems to me an obvious responsibility if you are working in an area and something needs to be done. The chance to do something really useful for the Nepali people is something I’d be happy to do for as long as I can."

Mrs Price said communications and power in the region had been completely lost, and the family had panicked while they were unable to contact Dr Saul.

She said: "I had a panicked 24 hours trying to get help but I couldn’t get back in touch with her to tell her I had heard the message and was doing what I could. They were eventually picked up by helicopter and are now at the British Embassy trying to sort flights out."

"My parents are over the moon. It’s been the most nightmarish 24 hours. We are just desperately hoping that people donate to the rescue effort to help the victims."

Mrs Price said communications and power in the region had been lost, and the family had panicked while they were unable to contact Dr Saul.

She said: “They were eventually picked up by helicopter and are now at the British Embassy trying to sort flights out. My parents are over the moon. It’s been the most nightmarish 24 hours.”

North Yorkshire travel firm in rebuilding pledge

A TOURISM firm that works with communities in Nepal says it will be on hand to help rebuild areas affected by the earthquake.

North Yorkshire-based InnTravel organises walking holidays to Nepal’s Sailung Valley in association with Village Ways Partnership. Both confirmed they had no tours in the area at the time of the disaster, but some holidaymakers had been due to travel there from India on Sunday.

Rescue workers in Kathmandu hunt for survivors in a building wrecked by Saturday’s earthquake

In a statement on their website, InnTravel said “our thoughts and prayers lie with all those affected by this tragedy”, and David Quick, head of marketing with Village Ways Partnership, said he had been trying to reach villagers in the area.

Mr Quick said: “Where we work is slightly to the east of Kathmandu, away from the epicentre and fortunately there have been no casualties but damage to buildings.

“It’s a relief, but communications have been very, very difficult so we’re not totally sure of the full picture at this point. We have had some contact through Facebook with a couple of Nepalese guys who work with us and were able to say they were okay and no-one had died in their village but there was some damage.”

Travel to Nepal is now restricted to emergency aid services, but Mr Quick said once they were able to start scheduling new visits, it would be of benefit to the local communities.

He said: “The emergency services are doing their work and that’s not what we do. Once the situation stabilises we will look to work with the communities to get them back on their feet and get visitors back there in the next few months, so the economic benefits of tourism can resume because without those it would be difficult for the people.”

Aid worker urges people to make donations

A VOLUNTEER who has worked in disaster-struck communities has urged people to back charity appeals for the earthquake victims.

Julie Ryan, an NHS manager who works with International Rescue, has previously assisted in floods and the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.

She has been monitoring the situation in Nepal, but said the organisation has been advised by the UN not to try to assist.

She said: “I think they are struggling to get teams into the affected area. Typically, rescue teams would fly into Kathmandu, but it sounds like Kathmandu airport is destroyed.

People over here can start to donate money to the appeals that have been set up because what they are going to need is immediate help in terms of food, water, shelter and medical aid and some way of rebuilding their lives and infrastructure again, so if anyone can do anything to help, that would be a start.”

York Oxfam shops quick to support relief effort

OXFAM shops in York are supporting the charity’s emergency response to the devastation caused by the earthquake in central Nepal.

All cash donations collected at the Oxfam shops in Micklegate, Goodramgate and Petergate will go towards helping people in Nepal.

Oxfam staff in York who have launched an appeal for the earthquake victims; from left, Sian Eastwood, Darren Mann, Ryan Denny and Luciano Pagan

Thousands of people are thought to have been affected by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake, the largest to hit the country in 80 years, which flattened entire sections of Kathmandu.

Oxfam already has a team in Nepal and a team of technical experts are flying from the UK and neighbouring Thailand with supplies to provide clean water, sanitation and emergency food supplies. 

The York shops are open between 9.30am and 5pm, Monday to Saturday, and 11am to 3.30pm on Sundays.

You can support Oxfam’s emergency appeal by donating at the shop, online at www.oxfam.org.uk, by phone on 0300 200 1999 or by texting* EMERGENCY to 70066 to donate £5.