Search And Rescue Team From Burnaby Arrives Home After Aiding Turkish Relief Efforts

A volunteer search and rescue team from Burnaby has made it back home, spending the last week helping with recovery efforts in earthquake ravaged Turkey.

Team member Shawn Mohammed said he and his colleagues were humbled by the outpouring of thanks.

"Our mission from when we hit the ground was focused on looking for viable victims and helping families reunite," Mohammed said. "So it's nice to see that they're happy."

The 10-person Burnaby Urban Search and Rescue team made it to Vancouver International Airport yesterday, greeted by a large group from Vancouver's Turkish community.

The team was made up of mostly first responders from Burnaby's fire department. They deployed a day after the quakes - the only Canadian team to do so.

The powerful earthquakes are blamed for more than 35-thousand deaths and has displaced millions.