A FATHER and son from Ingleton are part of a team of rescue experts racing against time to pull victims of the Pakistan earthquake from the rubble, reports Lisa Frascarelli.

Phil Haigh and his son, Ben, made their mercy dash on Sunday after receiving a call from the Home Office for help in the disaster zone on Saturday morning.

After waiting for a plane to be mobilised, the pair and two other colleagues, Marcus Part and Mick Swindles from the voluntary task force CANIS, headed for Islamabad.

The team, which has dealt with disasters in Iran, Turkey, Algeria and most recently the Glasgow factory explosion, has been working in Islamabad, south of Muzaffarabad, where the earthquake, which measured 7.6 on the Richter scale, struck on Saturday.

But among the scenes of devastation and death, the team and their two search dogs Madge and Rocky found life, discovering a baby girl trapped beneath a collapsed building.

"On the first day of their arrival, they located three casualties, who were pulled out," said CANIS member Nigel Boden, who is co-ordinating the rescue from his home in Burnley. On Tuesday, Madge located a casualty under the rubble and an 18-month-old baby girl was pulled out, which helped to lift spirits.

Mr Boden, a Lancashire fire fighter by day, added: "They have said it is very grim out there. It is total destruction. You see the dramatic footage on the television but for the people working there is nothing pleasant about it.

"They have been uplifted by finding people, which has spurred the team and the dogs on. The dogs are trained to only locate live casualties so when they locate someone they feel fulfilled because it is just a game to them."

Mr Boden, who has been in phone contact with the team, said the group was due to move on to remoter areas in Kashmir but their flight had been cancelled due to bad weather.

He said the team was expected back this weekend.

On home soil, Pakistani prof-essional cricketer Kabir Khan, 33, who plays for Kendal Cricket Club, was breathing a sigh of relief after hearing his family in Peshawar was well.

"I was very worried," said Mr Khan, whose mother, wife and three children are in Peshawar.

"But I managed to call and, although they were affected by the earthquake, they are safe."

Across South Lakeland, people have been rallying together to help victims of the earthquake from home soil.

Oxfam shops in Kendal, Windermere, Ulverston and Ambleside had received around £3,000 in donations by Tuesday afternoon the day after their appeal began.

Furness charity Bootle Refugee Aid is appealing for cash, blankets, tents and medical equipment. Anyone who can help should call 01229-718248.

Donations to the Pakistan appeal can be made at any OXFAM shop.

You can also donate over the phone to the Disasters Emergency Committee on 0870-6060-900 or by logging on to www.dec.org.uk Click on our Links page for the DEC and more...