Nepal 2015

On April 25th 2015 an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck in central Nepal, near the capital city of Kathmandu. The quake caused 10 billion dollars in damage. Killing close to 9,000 people and leaving another 3.5 million homeless.Burnaby USAR responded by sending a team comprised of rescue specialists and search dogs to help locate people in the rubble.We worked under the UN umbrella alongside the Nepalese military and searched in many different locations including areas of Kathmandu, and the ancient city of Bhaktapur. The team was also tasked to provide SAR service to the village of Bahrabise near Nepal’s border with China.

 Our team was able to work with our Nepalese military partners and Canadian officials to facilitate the helicopter rescue of several hikers, including a Canadian civilian trapped in the Langtang Valley, this area was completely cut off due to massive landslides caused by the earthquake. 

Upon arrival home team members assisted retired Burnaby Fire Captain Eoin White with his fundraiser to provide direct aid to families in the Khumbu Valley area of Nepal. This fundraiser exceeded all expectations and raised over $90,000 to help rebuild homes and lives in the region. Captain White was instrumental in providing logistics support to the team on this mission thru his extensive list of contacts in Nepal.