Rescue team caught in quake horror

Andrew Taylor

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THREE members of Oldham Mountain Rescue team were scheduled to fly home from Nepal the day a terrifying earthquake claimed more more than 3,200 lives.

Retired GP Andrew Taylor from Grasscroft arrived at Manchester Airport this morning, but his team colleagues, Denzil Broadhurst and David Wyatt, both from Uppermill, were still en route. All three had been in the capital, Kathmandu, when the 7.9 magnitude quake hit before midday on Saturday.

Thousands were trapped but the Chronicle reached Dr Taylor, who texted: “We are alive and well and on our way out.”

He confirmed he and his colleagues were moved to safer ground for the aftershocks and returned to their hotel after midnight.

Dr Taylor, chairman of Greenfield and Grasscroft Community Association, logged the aftershocks at 5.2 at 2am, 6.4 at 5 am then a massive 6.9 at 1p.m (local time) yesterday.

The trio had been taking part in a seven-week altitude medical research expedition on Manaslu, the world’s eighth highest mountain, in a remote part of the country.

Dr Taylor’s son, Anthony (43), who lives in Sale, kept in touch with his father by text on his satellite phone.

Anthony, a business coach, said: “Dad always underplays things and keeps a very low key. But he said they were the centre of Kathmandu when the earthquake happened.

“He was in the street but Dave Wyatt was on the forth floor of their hotel, which must have been very scary.”

Mick Nield, leader of Oldham Mountain Rescue Team, said: “David was in his hotel room which is in the old town where there has been a lot of damage.

“They are all safe but communication is sketchy. No one from the expedition has been injured and some of them had already already flown back.”

The majority of fatalities were reported in Nepal, with deaths also confirmed in India, Tibet, Bangladesh and the Nepal-China border. A number of historic building have been destroyed.

And an avalanche swept the face of Mount Everest after the earthquake, killing at least 18 climbers and leaving an unknown number remain missing or injured.