Nepal earthquake: The Japanese stray helping rescue those still trapped among the rubble
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Version 0 of 1. A former Japanese stray dog has become a hero in Nepal after joining the search and rescue teams scrambling to save survivors still buried in the wreckage. Yumenosuke, a four-year-old stray rescued from Hiroshima, arrived in Nepal with the Japanese search and rescue team on Sunday following the worst earthquake in more than 80 years in the region. It has been almost a full week since the 7.8 quake ripped through the mountainous region causing widespread damage. Nepalese authorities estimate that as many as 5,200 people have been killed with approximately 10,000 injured by the worst earthquake to strike the country in 80 years. Yumenosuke, already a hero in his native Japan, is on his first overseas trip hoping to achieve the same success that catapulted him to fame in 2014 when he found two survivors trapped by a deadly mudslide near Hiroshima. The former stray had a lucky break himself five years ago when he was adopted by Peace Winds Japan, a non-profit organisation that recruits strays to help in rescue missions, on the day he was due to be put down. Meanwhile, Israeli rescue teams attached a dog-cam to their animals. The footage, uploaded to Facebook by members of the Israeli army who have travelled to Nepal to help, shows a rescue dog scrambling among the ruins in an attempt to find survivors. The Israelis were among the first international units to arrive in Nepal, a popular location for many Israeli backpackers, with India and China also playing an increasingly significant role in rescue and recovery operations. Delays in aid reaching some of the remote areas affected by the quake have stoked tensions as many Nepalese remain outside – unprotected from the elements – and without food in the days following the natural disaster. |