A student has recalled the terrifying moment an earthquake struck during a research trip to Nepal.

PhD student at the University of Worcester Beas Banerjee was in a workshop discussing earthquake strategies when the tremors began.

She said: "I felt the first tremors and I thought ‘this isn’t real’... then the second one hit and everyone was frazzled".

She continued: "We were on the ground floor, we had to evacuate very quickly

"The irony of it hit us, we were talking about earthquakes, and one actually happened.

"We were really scared".

Miss Banerjee was in Nepal conducting fieldwork, with a focus on making the disaster-prone regions more resilient to landslides, floods, and earthquakes.

The quake she experienced on October 3 was relatively minor, but the following month Nepal suffered a destructive earthquake which resulted in 150 deaths and many injuries.

Miss Banerjee's three-year PhD project involves the use of drone technology to map environmental areas while carrying out household surveys.

She said: "We're using footage from the drones, as well as scoring households.

"It’s so the authorities have that information so if a particular disaster hits, they know which places are the most vulnerable, and where help will be needed in the first instance".

She added: "The surveys will help us look at the impact of disasters on people who are underprivileged who might not be able to safeguard their homes or make them more resilient to natural disasters.

"Also, we’re looking at how well people can ‘bounce back’ from disaster’s effects; it’s easier for some people than it is for others".

Professor Alan Dixon, the director of studies for Miss Banerjee's project, praised the student's approach.

He said: "I think the approach that Beas is taking, integrating household level assessments of vulnerability with data obtained from drones, has the potential to enhance resilience and disaster preparedness in many poor and marginalised areas around the world".

Reflecting on her work, she said: "Obviously, I want to achieve my PhD but if I can know that I’ve helped even one community, that’ll be enough for me."