JCB has donated £650,000-worth of machinery to support the relief effort in earthquake-hit Nepal.
Ten backhoe loaders were made available immediately to the Nepalese Army and are now at work in the areas worst hit by the disaster, which has left more than 5,000 people dead and 10,000 injured.
JCB supplied the backhoes through its dealer in Nepal, MAW Enterprises Pvt Ltd. A shipment of electrical power generators has also been despatched from JCB India’s factory in Delhi to help stricken communities hit by the quake.
JCB chairman Lord Bamford said:
“It is shocking to see the devastation caused by this earthquake and the resulting widespread damage and destruction. On behalf of JCB, I express my heartfelt condolences to everyone affected by this natural disaster. JCB will continue to help the Nepalese government is every possible way.”
The JCB backhoe loaders have been deployed to help ground relief efforts in the aftermath of the earthquake which measured 7.8 on the Richter Scale. In the coming weeks and months, the donated machines will be used in reconstruction efforts.
JCB has a history of helping countries affected by major natural disasters, providing machinery to the Philippines when Typhoon Haiyan struck in 2013. Machines were also donated when earthquakes struck in Haiti in 2010 and in China in 2008 and to southern India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia after the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami.