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West Midlands firefighter says quakes left behind ‘pure devastation’

The rubble of collapsed homes, children’s toys, clothing, and shattered family pictures frames were what greeted a team of British firefighters deployed to Venezuela after it was devastated by twin earthquakes.

Amid the warm, dusty environment and unpleasant smells, the teams were surrounded by people who had lost everything.

It was a difficult picture to process. A stretch of beautiful ocean with a backdrop of stunning sunsets, contrasted by total destruction in front of it.

“The views were lost… you were surrounded by beautiful mountains, and [it] was just a disaster zone,” said West Midlands firefighter, Mark Leeson, one of those sent to help.

Station commander Leeson, normally based in Bedworth, Warwickshire, is part of UK Fire & Rescue International Search and Rescue (UK ISAR).

It can deploy within a 6-10 hour timeframe and includes personnel from 14 of the UK’s fire & rescue services.

The team sent out was there for 10 days, and included a medical team, canine team, structural engineers and medics.


BBC News

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