Mexican elite rescue team
Topos Azteca (Aztec Moles) is on hand in the Lazio mountain
village of Amatrice, which was leveled by a 6.2-magnitude
earthquake that struck before dawn on August 24.
The self-styled International Search-and-Rescue Brigade,
whose official name is the Topos SAR NGO, is a volunteer,
non-profit team founded after an 8.0-magnitude quake struck
Mexico City in 1985, killing an estimated 5,000 people.
Their specialty is searching for victims under the debris
of collapsed buildings and giving first aid.
One of the original founders, 71-year-old Hector 'El
Chino' Méndez, is in the mountain village along with Carlos, 71,
and Candido, aged 58.
He has reportedly stated that one of the things that
distinguish his group from others is that they have "the balls
to go where no one else will".
The organization is made up of volunteers plus search and
rescue dogs, which they train themselves.
The Topos have assisted in rescue and recovery efforts in
dozens of countries, including El Salvador, Haiti, Indonesia
after the 2004 tsunami, Iran, Taiwan, and New York City after
the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
They also came to Italy when the Abruzzo city of L'Aquila
was struck by a deadly quake in 2009.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
