Team Leader, John Holland, and Team
Co-ordinator, Willie McMartin, led a team from International Rescue Corps on a frustrating
venture shadowed by a British TV Crew. The following is the personal report of John's
debrief detailing the chronological events leading to the deployment of the team to Kobe.
Introduction
At 05:46 Local, Tuesday 17th January [20:46 Monday 16th GMT] an
Earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale struck the city of Kobe and the surrounding
area.
An offer of
assistance from IRC was made immediately (within 30 minutes of the 'quake) via IRC's
Administration Office to the British Embassy in Tokyo. It was impossible to get through to
the Consulate in Osaka due to communications difficulties in the area. Offers were also
made via the Japanese Embassy in London, the Overseas Development Agency (ODA) and the
Japanese Disaster Relief Team HQ in Tokyo.
Several calls were made to the British Embassy in Japan and to the
Japanese Embassy in London speaking to the Deputy Ambassador, who informed me that should
we be required we would be notified, although that would be very doubtful as Japan is more
than capable of handling disaster situations in their country as they have more than
enough resources. Contact was also made with the Japanese Rescue Team HQ with whom an
offer was lodged verbally. The International Red Cross was also contacted, as was David
Childs - who pushed the ODA. Hugh Hanning, through his contacts, was also trying to get
the team into Japan.
At one stage, the British Embassy in Tokyo informed me that they had
not received a fax with our offer, and were not aware of it, although this was soon
rectified with a copy of the original sent.
We also received two DHA reports saying "NO, repeat NO
search and rescue assistance required". A fax was received from the Japanese
rescue team HQ stating that under Japanese constitutional law they could not invite
foreign rescue teams without authority from the government. All efforts seem to be to no
avail. I received a call at work from Hugh Hanning at 23:30 asking me to contact the
Consulate in Osaka and this was passed to Willie McMartin. He was informed by the
Consulate that they had contacts in the local prefecture and that they would push from
that end.
Wednesday was quiet, although there was much interest from the
Press. IRC had done as much as it could and Hugh Hanning was still following up his
contacts.
A fax was received from a contact of Mr. Hanning's stating that Mr.
Tarka Leslie King, the cousin of Winston Churchill and a close friend of the deputy
Planning Minister in Japan Hiro Kutuzawa, had personally placed the offer on our behalf
and this was to be placed before the Japanese Government. Now, some 53 hours had passed
since the 'quake.
On Saturday morning, 21st January, IRC was requested by the Japanese
Government to attend via the ODA. The Corps was immediately put on standby and
availability of operational members was requested.
A direct flight with British Airways was arranged for Sunday morning
22nd January, departing Heathrow 11:30 GMT.
Mobilisation
A team of 13 from International Rescue Corps plus two interpreters,
who were originally from the Kobe area but now lived in Sheffield, UK(!), were mobilised
to Glory Mill - IRC's Headquarters - for 06:30 GMT Sunday 22nd January. Equipment was
checked and the team was briefed.
The team departed Glory Mill at 08:45GMT for Heathrow for the flight
to Osaka, the nearest airport to the disaster. During the flight the team was briefed
further on the affected areas, culture, language, population etc. by the interpreters.
Deployment Day 1
On arrival at Osaka airport, the team was met by an embassy and
customs official who moved us swiftly through the airport. The team was taken on a coach
to the ferry terminal and onward across Kobe Bay, 35 minutes by SeaCat. The team arrived
at approximately 10:35 local time, 23rd January to be met by Mr. David Cockerham and his
wife Mim from the British Consulate and arrangements had been made for us to use transport
(1 pick-up and 1 small coach) supplied by an organisation called Tenrikyo.
The initial procedure was to report to the YMCA where a new
committee had just been formed to deal with non-Government Organisations, NGOs. Due to
this committee having only just been formed the day before our arrival, no information was
available and it was left that they would contact Mr. Cockerham on his mobile phone if any
information was secured. The team moved away from the city centre and deployed to the JR
railway station in the Higashi-Nada prefecture after Mr. Cockerham heard on the radio that
searches were being carried out.
A building comprising of flats was being searched by the fire
service and a Japanese rescue team. An offer of help was made, but rejected, although
after more consultation we finally received permission to help on the site using our
fibre-optic probe to search a void that the Japanese were trying to break in to. This
search was carried out professionally and gave us the opportunity to show our specialist
equipment at work, to the authorities. I tried to secure more sites in the area, but after
consultation with the rescue officers superiors but no more sites were made available in
this area.
After more dialogue with Mr. Cockerham and Willie McMartin, we
decided to make for the Fire Service HQ and confront the chief as to locations of
buildings to search for people still missing. Mr. Cockerham and Willie McMartin confronted
the chief but drew a blank; either no information was available or none was forthcoming.
As time was now pressing before darkness fell, we decided to move to the Kobe club north
of the city centre to establish a base camp. The team arrived at the Kobe club at
approximately 18:10 and met Mr. Paul Wohrle, the director, who offered the team several
floor areas as no grass was available to pitch camp. We chose a single storey bar area
with double doors at either end for ease of escape in case of aftershocks! A small patio
area was also available on which we established cooking facilities and satellite
communications to the UK - and this was to be our base for the duration.
Mr. Worhle informed the team that he had heard of a six-storey hotel
within walking distance that had collapsed and it was believed that people may be missing.
A team was dispatched at approximately 19:30 to recce the outside of the building and
gather information. It was decided that instead of asking permission to search the site -
we would inform the prefects office and tell them what we were doing. The idea being that
by the time the information filtered through to the appropriate authorities, we would be
well in to our search! Two Trapped Person Locator (TPL) teams, one fibre-optic team and a
search dog spent almost two hours searching and clearing this building, during which there
were several strong aftershocks.
During the search of the hotel an English teacher who had heard that
we were in the area asked us to search students' residences behind St. Michael's school.
This gentleman was very distressed that some of his students were still missing and that
only a quick search had previously been carried out. The school consisted of three,
three-storey wooden farm buildings 'pancaked' to first floor level. Several hours were
spent searching this site along with the search dog - with one body being located. All
team members were back in base camp by 00:20.
Whilst we had
been out searching, the police paid Willie McMartin a visit and wanted to know who had
given us permission to search these buildings. They were very civil about it and agreed
that we should not have to find buildings to search and the police officer then made
arrangements to collect us at 06:30 the following morning and take us to sites. Our
boldness seems to have had the desired effect.
A team briefing was held at 00:40 after which we were asked by a
local to search a 2 storey collapsed building 10 minutes walk away. A six man team was
dispatched at 01:06 with all team members back in camp by 02:15 with the building cleared.
Day 2
The team, plus dog, were ready to move out at 06:30, 24th January
and Mr. Aota met with Willie and myself to sort out areas and sites and he made it clear
that after today, he could not help us any more. With the help of Mr. Mishsda from the
prefect's office, two areas were established. Team One, three plus an interpreter, went
with the fire service to their HQ in Suma district and Team Two., ten plus dog and
interpreter went to the police HQ, Hyogo district. Both teams moved out at approximately
08:00 under fire service escort.
After a meeting with the Chief of Police in a tent - the police
station having lost its ground floor - the team was taken to an apartment block of five
floors with one person missing. As we arrived, two vehicles full of special task force
police arrived and entered the building along with dozens of press. It appeared to have
been a staged affair.
Paul Wooster (Section Leader) and I carried out a recce of the
building which had been gutted by fire, with only one area in the bottom of the stairwell
having escaped the blaze. We located what we believed to be another set of stairs amongst
the tangle of concrete which indicated either a basement or another room. After talking
with the police who informed us that there is no basement, the section leader re-entered
the building and after removing more rubble, a small entry was made in to a basement area,
of which a thorough search was then made.
On informing the police chief of our find, he exchanged a few words
with his lower ranks which the interpreter informed us was a dressing down for not knowing
about and subsequently not finding the basement. It therefore appeared as a feather in the
cap of IRC, especially with the cameras in attendance!
The team moved back to the co-ordination centre for allocation of
the next site where we met up with Team One who had only one building to search in the
area of Suma, which was now declared clear.
The team, now back at full strength, searched two more sites in the
area of Hyogo before being told by the co-ordination centre that all buildings in the area
had now been cleared. The team returned to base-camp through heavy traffic passing through
the area of Nagata-Ku which had suffered horrific fires. Efforts were made through the
night of 24th/25th to secure more search sites but to no avail. During the late evening,
we received a call from the Japanese deputy Prime Minister who was very appreciative of
our efforts. He also said that he would try to help us find more sites and provide us with
transport the next day.
Day 3
Mr. Nishsdsa, from the prefect's office, arrived at 07:30 with
transport to take us to sites in Ryoyu in the city centre but due to traffic problems the
team co-ordinator and team-leader went on foot, to carry out a recce prior to the arrival
of the main team.
The first building that
we searched was a five-storey domestic dwelling which had partially pancaked and was lying
at a grotesque angle with one person reported missing. The building had not been searched
as it was deemed too dangerous. One IRC member descended to the top of the building from
adjoining buildings which were also leaning and following a search and the removal of
rubble, the body of a man was found on the top floor.
His body was extricated and handed over to
the police. We also managed to involve the Japanese rescue team who turned up on site,
which I am sure did a lot for inter-team relations. This search and extrication had been
watched by the British Ambassador Mr. Boyde and Mr. Cockerham who gave the team a
considerable boost with their visit and kind words. Mr. Boyde had apparently diverted to
the area after he heard the search live on the radio, broadcast from a media helicopter
hovering overhead. [This incident was also featured in a subsequent documentary on
British TV]
After a recce, the team moved on to an eight storey block containing
bars, cafes and restaurants. The fourth floor, made up of seven individual premises had
pancaked on to the third floor. A team spent all afternoon searching this building,
crawling between floors, checking stairwells and lifts. A sound location search was
carried out from the fifth down to the fourth floors. During this search a team was
despatched to another area to search a series of buildings near the school. Searches in
this area were then complete and the police were informed that the buildings were clear.
A team of five, plus Kenji Aiba who acted as interpreter, were then
despatched to the prefecture of Nagata-Ku to meat the co-ordinator and established whether
there are any buildings to be searched. The officer with the special task force took the
number of the Kobe club with the intention of informing us of any more sites and he also
indicated that he would like to come along and look at our specialist equipment.
The police did not come up with any more sites and so efforts were
made during the evening to secure more sites with other authorities. The police did turn
up to view our equipment including the TIC, Sonde and Fibre Optic Probe and appeared very
impressed as they had not seen any of these before. The team that had been to Nagata-Ku
returned at about 20:30 and there then followed a team briefing.
Contact was made with the UK to check on the availability of flights
and to send an updated situation report.
Day 4
The team was ready to move again at 07:00 26th January but was still
trying to find more sites that required searching. Rather than have the team sitting
around not knowing if they had any more sites, I asked Paul Wohrle if there was a hospital
or medical centre that may need some help as we had three medical staff that could be sent
to help. I also offered the use of the rest of the team to help in refugee camps or to
distribute aid.
Several calls were made by Mr. Wohrle but medical or logistical help
was not required. I was informed by Mr. Aiba that arrangements had been made by the
British Embassy via our Operations Room in the UK for us to leave on 27th January.
Mr. Nishsda, from the prefect's office, arrived at 09:15 and after
consultation, he informed us that the buildings where people may be missing in the Kobe
prefectures have been exhausted. The team was then asked if it could help at a landslide
at Nikawa in the city area of Nishinomiya, approximately three hours drive away. Due to
traffic problems, we decided to take all equipment and personal kit with us, as Nikawa is
nearer to Osaka, from where we were due to fly on Friday.
Several hours were spent travelling to the landslide site and on
arrival the co-ordinator and I went forward on a recce and saw immediately that this had
been a wasted journey. Two or three houses had collapsed about 300 or 400 metres away and
approximately 100 metres up the hillside, with no sign of them left. Bulldozers and cranes
were digging away to locate the bodies of seven people who were missing in what was just
solid earth. One body was located 20 metres down whilst we were at the scene. Leaving our
best wishes with the police chief, we left the scene.
On recollection, I feel that our resources could have been used more
effectively, since a lot of time was wasted travelling to the landslide. I suppose this
could be attributed to a poorly frameworked disaster management system or alternatively
poorly updated communications within the management structure. The TBS news crew following
the team also appeared to see this as a peculiar diversion for us to have made.
It was confirmed by Mr. Mishsda that we had no more sites to search
so the team withdrew from the disaster area to the Tenrikyo HQ which was only an hour from
the airport, although again, several hours were spent in traffic jams. On arrival at the
HQ the team sorted out the equipment and boxed it ready for the flight. Four team members,
along with Mr. Aiba, took the equipment along to the airport to check in for our flight
the following day. Meanwhile the rest of the team was given a meal and some first class
hospitality from the Tenrikyo team members.
Day 5
The 27th saw us again stuck in traffic after leaving at 05:30 to
catch the 08:30. But for some 'imaginative' driving by our driver we would have missed the
flight. As it was, we boarded the 08:30 flight at 08:29! Whilst waiting for our connection
at Tokyo Narita airport, a fax arrived from the British Ambassador congratulating the team
and we also received a visit from Mr. Kutuzawa, the Economic Planning Minister.
The team arrived at London Heathrow at 17:45GMT 27th January, where
a small press conference was held. Two members went directly to Sky TV's studios, whilst
the rest of the team returned to Glory Mill to unpack.
Summary
If our offer had been accepted in the very early stages, there is no
doubt that we could have been a lot more effective, but it is not for me to judge the
reasons why this was not the case. We were asked to attend, albeit later that we would
have preferred, and we would certainly not have gone if we did not believe that there was
a job to be done and that people may still have been alive under the wreckage.
I believe we were very effective in what we carried out and the
efforts of International Rescue Corps were well received by both the Japanese Government
and its people. The Japanese Foreign Minister called on the British Ambassador to pass on
his thanks to the team and this was done in the form of a letter to IRC in which the
British Ambassador also stated how impressed he and his wife had been to see IRC at work.
Since our return from Kobe, I have received a further letter from the Ambassador in which
he stated, somewhat old-fashionedly that IRC was a "credit to the flag".
If Japan is unfortunate enough to suffer another disaster like Kobe
in the future, hopefully IRC will be invited at an earlier stage.
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