Fire-fighters in Japan are fit and well

GMFRS team members travelling to Japan - Andy Horridge, Alex Sugden, Mike Buckley, Dave Swallow, Neal Pickersgill, Clive Geoghegan and Peter Stevenson

Seven Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service fire-fighters in Japan as part of international search and rescue efforts are wearing radiation monitors and searching in heavy snow in a bid to find survivors of the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

The group, Peter Stevenson from Rochdale, Neal Pickersgill from FSHQ, Andy Horridge and Clive Geoghegan from Manchester, Alex Sugden from Wigan, Mike Buckley from Salford and Dave Swallow from Stockport - continued their search at 5.30am local time today (Wednesday 16 March 2011) when the UK team returned to Ofunato, clearing the final search area.

The team then travelled 30 km north to Kamaishi, where the Japanese authorities estimate more than 1,000 people are missing and continued search and rescue operations there. Working in heavy snow, the team’s efforts have been focused on a central industrial area.

International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said: "I spoke directly to our team in Japan this morning who have confirmed they are fit and well. I thanked them for their continuing their efforts to help Japan in their hour of need."

The teams were stood down at 6.30pm local time. Rochdale fire-fighter Pete Stevenson, the UK- ISAR Team Leader, reported back to the UK-ISAR Operations Room in Hampshire that the team is fit and well. The crews will rest thorough the night and recommence operations at first light tomorrow, after liaison with the Japanese authorities.

The short term weather forecast for the area is for low temperatures with heavy snow falling.