Who are Los Topos, the daredevil Mexican rescue team sent to help earthquake-hit Turkey?

Group formed in response to the 1985 Mexico City quake

Mexican volunteer rescue team Los Topos was formed in 1985 after an 8.1-magnitude earthquake struck Mexico City in 1985. Photo: Topos

Los Topos, who built their reputation in operations around the world, use rescue dogs to detect people who may be trapped in collapsed buildings. Photo: Topos

Los Topos, the Moles in English, receive special training and co-operate with the Mexican fire and health services, as well as international search and rescue organisations. Photo: Topos

Los Topos have participated in 70 search and rescue missions. Photo: Topos

A rescue team member and sniffer dog companion board an air force plane at Santa Lucia Military airbase near Mexico City. Reuters

A rescue dog and handler leave Mexico for the earthquake zones of Turkey and Mexico. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico / Twitter

Mexico's rescue specialists leaving Felipe Ángeles International Airport, Mexico City. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A rescue dog and handler meet a member of ground staff at Shannon Airport in County Clare, Ireland, on a stopover before travelling on to Adana in southern Turkey. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico / Twitter

Follow the latest news on the earthquake in Turkey and Syria

Mexico has sent its renowned Los Topos de Tlatelolco — The Moles of Tlatelolco — to help in the search for survivors of the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday.

At least 6,957 were killed in Turkey, where the earthquake struck Kahramanmaras district, with the toll between the two countries now exceeding 11,200 people.

The focus since the disaster struck has been on finding survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

Governments and international aid organisations quickly sent personnel, funds and equipment to help the rescue efforts.

Among them, a Mexican Air Force jet that arrived on Wednesday with rescue teams and specialists, according to Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Secretary.

Reputation in rescue

Some of Mexico's rescue dogs became national heroes in 2017 following the country's earthquake when they saved several lives. Frida, the most famous of all, was credited with finding at least 41 bodies and a dozen people alive.

More famous than the dogs, however, are the professional non-profit search and rescue group Los Topos — formally known as Rescue Brigade Topos Tlatelolco.

The group formed in response to an 8.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Mexico City in 1985, which destroyed 30,000 buildings and killed an estimated 10,000 people

Los Topos were local volunteers who quickly earned a daredevil reputation for burrowing deep into the rubble of toppled buildings.

Originally from the impoverished neighbourhood of Tlatelolco, the Moles began by digging with their bare hands, looking for signs of life and pulling people out, helping the overwhelmed emergency services.

Founders said they were driven by a passion for finding survivors and the camaraderie among the group led to the creation of a permanent volunteer service.

In October 1986, members travelled to San Salvador for their first foreign rescue mission when the city was hit by a 5.7-magnitude quake.

The group has since been formally recognised by Mexican authorities and members receive special training, co-operating with the Mexican fire and health services, as well as international search and rescue organisations.

Los Topos, with the help of rescue dogs, have participated in 70 search and rescue missions including the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US in 2001 to the collapse of a mine in Chile, as well as numerous earthquakes such as the Haiti disaster in 2010.