Burnaby Urban Search and Rescue team deploys to Venezuela after deadly earthquakes

Seven members of Burnaby Urban Search and Rescue are now heading to Venezuela to help find and rescue people trapped by the earthquakes.

The death toll is approaching 1,000 after two powerful earthquakes struck the country.

More than 3,000 people were injured in the back-to-back earthquakes, which struck the region on Wednesday.

The Burnaby team includes two firefighters, paramedics and law enforcement officials, along with two dogs.

They received the green light from the Venezuelan government on Wednesday morning and said they will likely spend five to seven days in the country.

The owner of a private plane also donated a flight so the team can have an easier time accessing the danger zone, as commercial airports have been damaged.

“It’s a collaborative effort,” Shawn Mohammed, the Burnaby USAR deployment director, said.

“You definitely can’t do it alone. So we’re very humbled to have great support with us when we deploy.”

Ryan Berry, the president of Burnaby USAR, said they will assess where they are needed when they get on the ground.

“Once we have our feet on the ground, usually what seems to be the biggest priority are the basic necessities of life, food and water, just providing any help we can,” he said.

Burnaby USAR is a volunteer organization that deploys to countries to help people following natural disasters.