A search and rescue team from British Columbia has taken part in the successful rescue of a woman from earthquake rubble in Turkey, more than four days after the tremor hit.
Footage by the CBC showed members of the Burnaby Urban Search and Rescue team being thanked and embraced by Turkish colleagues on the scene, moments after the dust-covered woman was taken to an ambulance in the town of Adiyaman on Friday.
The volunteer Canadian team had earlier shared photos on social media showing them at work in Adiyaman, where Turkey鈥檚 consul general in Vancouver said they had been deployed early Thursday.
The Burnaby team is the only Canadian rescue crew in the quake zone, after the consulate said a deadline for others to participate had expired.
B.C.鈥檚 Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma shared news of the rescue on Twitter on Friday and said the government is 鈥渋ncredibly proud,鈥� and remains in daily contact with federal authorities to provide help.
A post on the Burnaby search team鈥檚 Facebook page says it is 鈥済etting reports of trapped people messaging on their phones for help鈥� after what it said was a long day at work in the town in southeast Turkey.
The team said there had been 235 people rescued in Adiyaman since the first quake.
The Vancouver consulate said Thursday that the Burnaby team 鈥渋s and will be the only team from Canada鈥� acting as rescuers in the quake zone, after it independently offered help.
Ma said Thursday that the Burnaby team 鈥渟elf-deployed.鈥�
Canadian federal authorities have not given an official go-ahead to any rescue teams since Monday鈥檚 quake, which has killed thousands.
Ottawa has sent an assessment team and committed $10 million to relief efforts.
