A £100,000 appeal has been launched in Coventry to help the victims of the Indian earthquake, and a dedicated counselling service is to offer support to people in the city who have lost relatives.

Coventry City Council has donated £10,000 to the £100,000 appeal being run in the city by worldwide charity SEWA (International).

The council is also making moves to bring comfort to Coventry families affected by the earthquake in the Gujarat area of India.

Many families in the city have relatives living in the devastated area.

Cllr John Mutton said the donation was part of the way that the council could help.

He said:

"This disaster is too horrific to imagine. The loss of life and scale of destruction is overwhelming.

“We are anxious to do all we can to ease the suffering of Coventry people affected by this tragedy. We are setting up a counselling support service and wanted also to make a donation to the disaster appeal.

“The best way for any of us to do that is to support SEWA in its efforts to raise £100,000. I hope Coventry people will help to realise that total.”

The hotline for pledges is 024 7655 5222 and the credit card hotline is 0800 447799. Donations can be made at any branch of HSBC quoting number 91482521.

A counselling service will be established to offer support to Coventry people who have lost loved ones, or are still enduring an agonising wait for news of friends and families in the earthquake area.

Dedicated telephone lines are being installed at the council's Interpretation and Translation Unit in the Hillfields area of Coventry where trained social service personnel will be able to offer support.

Discussions are underway to ensure staff specially trained to counsel children are also available. Interpreters will also be available.

The council has also responded quickly to the charity's request for old style metal ballot boxes to be used as secure collecting boxes, and will speed the approval of a licence to permit a street collection in the city in aid of the fund.