A Moray doctor who took immediate leave from his job to assist with the relief effort in Nepal as spoken of his experiences after arriving in the devastated country.
Dr Jamie Hogg, from Forres, lived in the South Asian country for years and after hearing about the earthquake he felt compelled to help the thousands affected.
The 52-year-old has ties to Nepal stretching back over 30 years, and his first concern was for a friend he met eight years ago in the country’s remote Manasulu region.
He formed a close relationship with Nyima Lama after they created the first fully functioning school in the district.
Dr Hogg said: “When I heard about the earthquake I was worried for Nyima. I immediately got leave from work and went to Nepal as quickly as I could.
“I was very relieved when I heard Nimya survived, and earlier this week he and I returned to where he was at the moment the earthquake struck.
“He was buying uniforms for the pupils at the school and the shop he was in totally collapsed – he and the shopkeeper just escaped in time.
“This will be a massive rebuilding task.
“There are 51 international rescue teams here and huge efforts by the government and organisations such as Oxfam and the Red Cross.
“Our effort is puny by comparison but we have been able to co-ordinate the response in the Manasulu area, and we’re making a plan for reconstruction work.
“The medical search and rescue time has passed but there is a huge task to rebuild houses and the school and health post.”
Dr Hogg first visited Nepal in 1980 as an expedition leader taking visiting backpackers from London through the country.
He remained there for five years, establishing a trekking company called Himalayan Encounters.
In 2006, Dr Hogg moved with his family to live and work in Kathmandu and its surrounding mountain region, where he remained until 2008.
The death toll from the earthquake on April 25 currently stands at 7,500 with more than double that amount injured.
The charity established by Dr Hogg and his friend Nimya, Project Lama, is dedicated to furthering education in the Manaslu region – an area of Nepal that was closed to the outside world until 2006.
More details can be found at www.projectlama.org.