Emergency aid equipment worth tens of thousands of pounds stored in Bicester is being rushed to Columbia to help survivors of the earthquake which killed at least 2,000 people are thought to have been killed in the quake which struck the city of Pereira this week.

Oxfam is one of the charities involved in the rescue operation and hundreds of water tanks, buckets, de-sludging kits, tap stands and pumps stored at its warehouse in Arkwright Road, Bicester, were sent from Heathrow on Wednesday.

The 22,000sq ft building is Oxfam's only emergency aid distribution centre in the UK. It is staffed by six people.

Nearly six tonnes of equipment has been sent to Columbia and further aid sorties are expected in the coming weeks. Dee Hogg, Oxfam's logistics manager, said staff at the centre are on 24 hour-call to deal with emergencies around the world.

She said: "At the moment, Getting water equipment across to Columbia is the main priority.

"It is vitally important that the victims of the earthquake get good, fresh drinking water."

She added: "The equipment here was transported to Heathrow airport and then flown to Columbia by jumbo."

The earthquake measured 6.0 on the Richter scale and it is believed that 40% of the buildings in the city, which has a population of around 300,000, have collapsed.

Oxfam is also dealing with emergency food aid which it is getting to the quake victims from other areas of Columbia not affected by the disaster.

"It's a major disaster and Oxfam is doing what it can to help."

Story date: Friday 29 January

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