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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| China blocks entry to UK rescuers | China blocks entry to UK rescuers |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A UK search and rescue team who flew to China after the earthquake have been denied visas and forced to return home without being able to help. | A UK search and rescue team who flew to China after the earthquake have been denied visas and forced to return home without being able to help. |
| The International Rescue Corps team arrived in Hong Kong with specialist search equipment on Wednesday. | The International Rescue Corps team arrived in Hong Kong with specialist search equipment on Wednesday. |
| But for reasons that remain unclear, the 10-strong UK team and a Canadian group were blocked from entering China. | But for reasons that remain unclear, the 10-strong UK team and a Canadian group were blocked from entering China. |
| China has sent 50,000 troops to Sichuan province to search for survivors of the earthquake which has killed 15,000. | China has sent 50,000 troops to Sichuan province to search for survivors of the earthquake which has killed 15,000. |
| 'Every possible route' | 'Every possible route' |
| International Rescue Corps (IRC) team member Derek Jolly, 38, told the BBC News website that the team had initially been promised visas, "but when we arrived, suddenly the game had changed". | |
| He said the team, which is voluntary and funded by donations, had "gone down every possible diplomatic and political route" with no success. | He said the team, which is voluntary and funded by donations, had "gone down every possible diplomatic and political route" with no success. |
| "What was disappointing for us was the Chinese government sent out a kit list with their initial request for help, saying this is what we need," said Mr Jolly. | "What was disappointing for us was the Chinese government sent out a kit list with their initial request for help, saying this is what we need," said Mr Jolly. |
| There's a window to pull people out alive, and really we're coming to the end of that anyway Derek Jolly, IRC | |
| "We then sent them a message through the consulate saying we have pretty much everything on the list." | "We then sent them a message through the consulate saying we have pretty much everything on the list." |
| The team brought with them specialist equipment including carbon dioxide probes and sonic equipment for listening to people in voids in buildings. | The team brought with them specialist equipment including carbon dioxide probes and sonic equipment for listening to people in voids in buildings. |
| Mr Jolly said he could not be certain of the reason why the team was denied entry, but suggested a possible reason was a lack of infrastructure at the earthquake zone for foreign rescue teams. | Mr Jolly said he could not be certain of the reason why the team was denied entry, but suggested a possible reason was a lack of infrastructure at the earthquake zone for foreign rescue teams. |
| Tough decision | Tough decision |
| He said: "It sounds like they couldn't guarantee the infrastructure would be in place locally for rescue teams to be allowed in en masse, so they made the decision to cope on their own." | He said: "It sounds like they couldn't guarantee the infrastructure would be in place locally for rescue teams to be allowed in en masse, so they made the decision to cope on their own." |
| Mr Jolly, a veteran of three rescue missions, said British Airways had donated the team's flights, but other than that the mission had been entirely self-funded. | |
| He said one Chinese man handed him $350 on the plane to Hong Kong, and that the level of welcome by local people had made the group's inability to help even more upsetting. | He said one Chinese man handed him $350 on the plane to Hong Kong, and that the level of welcome by local people had made the group's inability to help even more upsetting. |
| "They were so pleased to see a western team had come to help and now we feel we've kind of let them down." | "They were so pleased to see a western team had come to help and now we feel we've kind of let them down." |
| He added: "We offer help to anyone who wants it and because of the UN agreement we're signed up for, if they don't want it, we have to respect that." | He added: "We offer help to anyone who wants it and because of the UN agreement we're signed up for, if they don't want it, we have to respect that." |
| But Mr Jolly said that although the decision to leave had been made reluctantly, realistically there was now very little chance of rescue teams finding anyone alive. | But Mr Jolly said that although the decision to leave had been made reluctantly, realistically there was now very little chance of rescue teams finding anyone alive. |
| "To be fair, at this stage we would be making the decision whether to move out today or tomorrow," he said. | "To be fair, at this stage we would be making the decision whether to move out today or tomorrow," he said. |
| "There's a window to pull people out alive, and really we're coming to the end of that anyway." | "There's a window to pull people out alive, and really we're coming to the end of that anyway." |