Secretario de Relaciones Exteriores de México

A rescue team sent by Mexico to Turkey wore shirts with the image of Frida - a rescue dog who became the face of resilience in the country after an earthquake in 2017.

A search-and-rescue team from Mexico has landed in Turkey to help find survivors after the devastating earthquake there and in Syria on Monday. The team includes Mexico’s famous canine rescuers.

As the death toll in Turkey and Syria reached some 12,000 people Wednesday, Mexico joined international aid efforts with a team of search and rescue specialists from the Army, Navy and Red Cross.

Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said 16 search and rescue dogs and their handlers are the heart of the team. They arrived around 3 p.m. local time in Adana, Turkey, on Wednesday and were immediately taken to search sites where they will work to find survivors trapped beneath toppled buildings.

Mexico's rescue dogs became famous for their work in the wake of the 2017 earthquake that killed hundreds in and around Mexico City. And the team sent to Turkey was named Frida in honor of the yellow Lab that became a national icon for images of her searching the rubble in doggy boots and goggles. An image of Frida, who died last year in retirement, is emblazoned on the front of the rescue crew's shirts.

Mexico is also sending a renowned civilian rescue brigade known as Los Topos — or the moles — of Tlatelolco on a separate flight.

Misión rescate ya en Turquía, aterrizaron a las 5:47 am (hora de CDMX) en la Ciudad de Adana, el punto más cercano a la zona afectada por el sismo. Los 16 binomios caninos serán críticos para las operaciones de rescate. Les mantengo informados. pic.twitter.com/XIuEhSq0Bo

— Marcelo Ebrard C. (@m_ebrard) February 8, 2023