South Yorkshire’s firefighters are sending 20 full fire kits to crews in Kashmir to help improve the region’s firefighting resources.

Helmets, boots, tunics, trousers and gloves, worn by SYFR crews before their recent switch to a new all black outfit, will go to firefighters in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

The region’s already under-resourced firefighters are often called on to deal with major rescue operations. The area is prone to landslides and was one of the places worst hit by a devastating earthquake in 2005 which killed around 75,000 people.

Khawaja Siddique, the Chief of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir’s police and fire service visited SYFR in December last year, when the idea of donating kit to his country was put forward.

SYFR’s Director of Finance & Resources Beverley Sandy said: “Firefighters in Kashmir simply don’t have access to the same standards of fire kit as our crews, so this donation will definitely lead to improvements in their safety at incidents.”

Shahbaz Ramzan, Safer Neighbourhood Officer at Sheffield Council, said: “The fire service was one of the organisations who provided help to the people of Kashmir during the earthquake relief effort, and so we are extremely grateful that they have once again come to their aid.”

The Kashmiri authorities are funding the transport costs for the kit transfer, and it should arrive there within the next six weeks.