Mexico’s internationally recognized Los Topos rescue team has deployed a contingent to Colombia to assist with search-and-rescue efforts following the devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Monday.

The specialized rescue team is travelling from La Guaira, Venezuela, where members had already been operating, and will now join emergency crews searching for survivors in some of the hardest-hit areas of Colombia.

Héctor Méndez, founder and president of the Brigada Internacional de Rescate Topos Azteca, commonly known as Los Topos, confirmed the deployment Tuesday. Méndez, widely known as “Topo Mayor,” said the team is bringing specialized equipment designed to help locate and reach people trapped beneath collapsed structures.

The equipment includes pneumatic tools, concrete cutters and breakers, manual rescue equipment, thermal technology and a search system designed to detect victims behind walls and underneath debris.

Los Topos said the team will also be coordinating its work with TESA Innovación Tecnológica.

In a message shared on social media, the rescuers offered words of encouragement to Colombians still waiting for news of loved ones.

“To our brothers and sisters in the emergency zone: stay strong, help is on the way,” Los Topos said.

Search for Survivors Continues

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, causing widespread destruction in cities and municipalities including Cali, Pereira and Quibdó.

By Tuesday, local mayors and governors had reported at least 179 deaths, while the Colombian national government’s most recently published figure stood at 111, according to reporting from The Associated Press.

Approximately 5,000 homes and buildings were reportedly damaged or destroyed. In Cali alone, authorities said hundreds of people were believed to have been trapped beneath debris as rescue operations continued.

The arrival of Los Topos adds another experienced international rescue team to the growing emergency response.

Los Topos have become internationally known for entering disaster zones and searching collapsed buildings for survivors, carrying forward a rescue movement that traces its roots to Mexico’s devastating 1985 earthquake.

With rescue operations continuing across western Colombia, the focus remains on reaching those still trapped and supporting communities dealing with the aftermath of one of the country’s deadliest earthquakes in recent years.