A TREKKER from Worcestershire feared for his life when he was caught up in the devastating Nepal earthquake.

Richard Jones, 33, of Droitwich, felt the ground shake violently and witnessed massive landslides and dangerous rock falls as the 7.8 magnitude quake struck.

He escaped unharmed but, without access to the internet or phones, was unable to tell his distraught family and friends he was ok.

“The ground and everything around me started shaking”, said Mr Jones, who was in a Nepalese teahouse high in the remote and mountainous Annapurna region at the time.

“It kept going and going, getting stronger and stronger.

“I watched half a wall fall apart in front of my eyes, but the scariest part was the reaction of the locals - they were terrified.

“There were significant aftershocks and needless to say I didn’t get much sleep that night.”

A hike out of the mountains brought Mr Jones back into contact with the wider world.

He was able to put his relatives’ minds at ease and get in touch – to his immense relief – with his travelling buddy James Watson, who had similarly dodged injury in a different part of Nepal.

But these positives couldn’t hide the true horror of the humanitarian disaster that unveiled itself to Mr Jones.

Moved by the surrounding destruction and death toll, he set out to support relief and rebuilding efforts and even extended his visa to stay involved for longer.

“I first started by helping a guy I’d met trekking, who was distributing rice and supplies to people in need, before getting involved in a project supporting affected villages”, said Mr Jones.

“Then, with help from three other travellers, we managed to raise £15,000 by posting Facebook appeals for donations.

“Through various lucky encounters we teamed up with a Nepali family who had transport, were able to buy supplies from wholesalers and set out to deliver aid to villages.

“In the remote areas every building was destroyed and there wasn’t anything left.

“The houses were built with great care and love, yet they were primitively built and could not survive the earthquake.

“But we were still greeted with smiles. There is something about the Nepali people – they are generous, wear their hearts on their sleeves and smile when other people would not be able to.

“Some of the stories however were heartbreaking.

“I spoke to mothers who had lost their homes and lost loved-ones. Their whole world had literally collapsed around them – it was very upsetting to hear.

“There was a sense though that the Nepalis are strong people and will be able to deal with it.”

Mr Jones, a professional photographer, was aware however that delivering a few tonnes of rice would not solve the complex issues left in the country.

He was determined to do something that would be longer-lasting and, after returning to Worcestershire, has launched Nepal 425 with fellow travellers James Watson, Laura Szanlo and Gareth Pickering.

The project – a partnership with local charity VolNepal –aims to raise $100,000 to help rebuild Nepal by selling copies of a collaborative photo book.

The book will feature striking images taken by Mr Jones, Mr Watson and other photographers from across the world.

Each image will tell stories of the tragedy, loss and destruction caused by the earthquake as well as the resilience and strength the Nepali people are so well known for.

A crowd funding campaign to pay for the printing of 10,000 copies of the book will be launched on Monday (August 3).

It is hoped the project will ensure the country has “a brighter future than the past they’ve left behind”.

To contribute to the crowd funding campaign or to find our more visit nepal425.com