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CMAT Rapid Assessment Team preparing to depart Sunday for Japan: team to evaluate health needs in devastated areas.

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A man takes a picture in Sendai, northern Japan, of the aftermath of the tsunami. (Photo Courtesy Junji Kurokawa/AP)

A man takes a picture in Sendai, northern Japan, of the aftermath of the tsunami. (Photo Courtesy Junji Kurokawa/AP)

Saturday, March 12, 2011 – Canadian Medical Assistance Teams (CMAT) is deploying its rapid disaster assessment team to Sendai, Japan, scheduled to leave Sunday morning from Vancouver. The organization is also making an emergency appeal for donations to help the people of Japan after the powerful 8.9 magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami devastated the region on Friday, which is centred about 300km north of the capitol, Tokyo. Officially, 649 people are confirmed dead, and numbers are expected to increase sharply. There remains no contact with about 10,000 people in Minamisanriku, more than half the town’s population.

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CMAT Rapid Assessment Team standing by for response after 8.9 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

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The quake unleashed a tsunami that swept boats, cars, buildings and tonnes of debris kilometres inland. Here the tsunami strikes shores along Iwanuma. (Photo courtesy Kyodo News/AP)

The quake unleashed a tsunami that swept boats, cars, buildings and tonnes of debris kilometres inland. Here the tsunami strikes shores along Iwanuma. (Photo courtesy Kyodo News/AP)

Friday, March 11, 2011 – The largest earthquake in Japan’s recorded history struck offshore on Friday, and police say they’ve found as many as 300 bodies in the north-eastern coastal area that bore the brunt of the tremors and ensuing tsunami. The earthquake struck at 2:46 p.m. local time on Friday afternoon, at a depth of 10 kilometres about 125 kilometres off the eastern coast, and was followed by at least 19 powerful aftershocks.

Japan’s meteorological agency said the initial earthquake registered at a magnitude of 8.8, while the U.S. Geological Survey said it measured a magnitude 8.9 — enough to rank it fifth among all quakes registered in the past 111 years. Most of the aftershocks registered at 6.0, with one reaching 7.1. Residents of coastal areas were urged to move to higher ground in advance of more devastating waves that experts warn could hit nations throughout Southeast Asia and reach as far away as South America, Alaska, the U.S. West Coast and British Columbia.

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CMAT Relief effort in China to change focus.

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CMAT assessment photo of devastation in Sichuan, China.

CMAT assessment photo of devastation in Sichuan, China.

Thursday May 22, 2008 – TORONTO/ VANCOUVER: Canadian Medical Assessment Team (CMAT) Response Coordinators established contact early yesterday morning by satellite phone with the CMAT assessment team in earthquake-affected Sichuan, China. The assessment team advised that the Chinese government, military and local Red Cross have done a commendable job in the rescue and recovery effort. At present, there are 100,000+ Chinese Military and over 1000 medical staff in the region, and most seriously injured citizens have already been evacuated to larger centres.

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News Coverage: Canadian doctors head to China quake zone

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CMAT Assessment team shortly after arriving in China. L-R: Dr. Haibo Xu, Dr. Charles Jiang, Paramedic Chris Kaley, Paramedic Dave Deines, Dr. Dave Ratcliffe.

CMAT Assessment team shortly before departing for China. L-R: Dr. Haibo Xu, Dr. Charles Jiang, Paramedic Chris Kaley, Paramedic Dave Deines, Dr. Dave Ratcliffe.

May 18, 2008 – National news coverage of CMAT teams deploying to China.

CBC News: Canadian doctors head to China quake zone

CityTV News – CMAT team departing

CTV News – Toronto’s Chinese community reacts to earthquake.

CTV News – Canadian doctors put skills to use in China