DistantNews
Support us
Mexican Rescue Brigade 'Los Topos' Arrives in Cali After 41 Days in Venezuela
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Disasters & Emergencies

Mexican Rescue Brigade 'Los Topos' Arrives in Cali After 41 Days in Venezuela

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A Mexican rescue brigade, Los Topos, arrived in Cali, Colombia, to assist in earthquake recovery efforts.
  • The brigade previously spent 41 days in Venezuela aiding victims of a separate earthquake.
  • They are joining the search for survivors trapped under debris following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Colombia, causing significant casualties and damage.

The renowned Mexican rescue brigade, Los Topos, has arrived in Cali, Colombia, to aid in the search and rescue operations following a devastating magnitude 7.4 earthquake. The team, led by Héctor Méndez, arrived from Venezuela, where they had been deployed for 41 days assisting victims of a powerful earthquake that struck La Guaira on June 24, causing over 6,300 fatalities.

We were in Venezuela for 41 days and decided to come here and not go to Mexico as soon as we saw what was happening. We left our activities in Venezuela, which was already the recovery of fatal victims, to join this great effort to rescue our brothers.

— Héctor MéndezExplaining the brigade's decision to deploy to Colombia immediately after their mission in Venezuela.

Los Topos' decision to immediately deploy to Colombia underscores their commitment to disaster response. "We were in Venezuela for 41 days and decided to come here and not go to Mexico as soon as we saw what was happening," Méndez stated. "We left our activities in Venezuela, which was already the recovery of fatal victims, to join this great effort to rescue our brothers."

Cali, the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, is among the hardest-hit cities, with nearly a hundred reported deaths and numerous residential and commercial buildings collapsed or severely damaged. The brigade's arrival offers a beacon of hope for families searching for loved ones potentially trapped beneath the rubble.

This is an abnormal situation, and I ask everyone working on this to make an effort to overcome that period where we feel like victims. We are not victims; we are media workers, firefighters, military, police, and volunteers.

— Héctor MéndezAddressing the rescue workers and emphasizing their role as dedicated responders.

Méndez addressed the challenging circumstances, urging those involved in the rescue efforts to push beyond feelings of victimhood. "This is an abnormal situation, and I ask everyone working on this to make an effort to overcome that period where we feel like victims. We are not victims; we are media workers, firefighters, military, police, and volunteers," he told reporters. The Topos Tlatelolco rescue brigade, founded in 1985 after the Mexico City earthquake, is known for its volunteer-driven, highly effective search and rescue operations in disaster zones worldwide.

We know that we are going to make the maximum effort and that we are going to achieve for these families to successfully and happily have their loved ones rescued.

— Héctor MéndezExpressing determination and hope for the success of the rescue operations.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog