Couple survive China earthquake

Barry Jackson was at a panda reserve when the quake struck

A couple from Herefordshire believed to be missing after the earthquake in China have been found safe.

Barry and Christine Jackson, from Goodrich, had been visiting a panda colony when the 7.9 magnitude quake struck on Monday.

The couple contacted their son Anthony at 0630 BST on Thursday to say they had survived.

Their son had contacted Hereford MP Paul Keetch who informed the House of Commons about his parents' plight.

The Jacksons, who are originally from Abergavenny, south Wales, were among a party of 19 Britons found safe.

'Horrendous noise'

More than 50,000 people may have died in the quake, which struck south-western China.

About 10 million people in Sichuan province have been affected.

Mr Jackson, a retired bank manager, told the BBC of the moment the quake struck.

He said: "Suddenly we had this horrendous noise which you can't describe what it's like.

"It was just a huge, huge noise and the land shaking underneath you and the first thing we all thought to do was to run."

Mr Keetch said he understood the couple's hotel and adjoining buildings had been "flattened" by the tremors.

The Jacksons and 12 other members of the party were airlifted out of the reserve by Chinese military helicopters and are now in the city of Chengdu.