Actor caught up in Italian earthquake
A Wearside actor says he feels lucky to be alive after he was in an Italian resort just 24 hours before an avalanche struck.
Jordan Todd, from Washington, is touring Europe as part of a production of the musical Grease.
On Wednesday, three earthquakes occurred in the Abruzzo region of Italy, with authorities reporting dozens of people missing.
Some of the dead were found inside the Hotel Rigopiano in the town of Farindola on the Gran Sasso mountain.
Italy’s civil protection agency has confirmed that 30 people are missing in the avalanche.
The quakes shook central Italy, including Rome, on Wednesday morning.
The tremors came after 36 hours of steady snowfall in mountainous areas in Amatrice and Norcia.
Jordan and the cast and crew of the production were in the area less than a day before it happened, and also witnessed the earthquake itself.
Luckily they were a few hours’ drive away from where the avalanche occurred.
“We’ve been here since January 9 and the weather has been really bad, snow and rain the whole time,” said former Biddick School pupil Jordan, 24, who appeared in the Britain’s Got Talent competition as part of the Kingdom Tenors group in 2015.
“When the earthquake started to happen, it was such a scary feeling.
“At first, we didn’t realise what was going on, then we looked outside and saw the walls and the trees begin to shake.
“I’ve got no words to say how sad I am that people have lost their lives, it makes me speechless, but I know I’m lucky we were able to get away.”
Jordan is now in regular contact with dad Les, 54, and Gaynor, 51, at the family home in Fatfield to let them know he is safe.