A Coventry University student who is learning about disaster management has been sent to India to help deal with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.

Mark Conway was deployed to Bhuj, India on Saturday evening to help with the tragic events in the region.

He is a student on the university’s unique Disaster Management course in the newly-formed School of Science and the Environment.

After taking part in a two-year training course with Rapid UK, Mark offered his services for the on-call register, to assist with disasters as and when they arise.

Mark and the team were flown out to India and have sent reports back to the UK office on the progress they are making.

Ninety per cent of Bhuj has been destroyed by the earthquake.

Rapid UK have been searching through the rubble of over 70 high-rise buildings for survivors.

Mark and the team were called to a building where it was suspected a mother and her two sons were buried.

The rescue team was too late for the mother and the younger son, but they managed to help the older boy. He has received medical treatment and is said to be doing well in a field hospital close to the site.

Dr Anne Eyre, course tutor at the Centre for Disaster Management said:

"We are all very pleased that Mark is able to help. We were anxious at first because we had no reports of his exact whereabouts.

"It is extremely satisfying to know that the Disaster Management course and his training have equipped Mark to be able to help in such a positive way."

The course Mark is studying on is International Disaster Engineering and Management course, which has been run from the School of Science and the Environment for seven years.