Two sniffer dogs search 500 buildings in quake zone

Two British sniffer dogs have searched 500 buildings in earthquake-hit Venezuela in the hunt for survivors.

The dogs from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service dogs and their handlers are among a 68-strong UK team who have gone to the South American country.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service are aiding the rescue effort in Venezuela where the death toll from the twin earthquakes has passed 2,600.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said the UK team is made up of firefighters from 14 fire services, including Cheshire and Greater Manchester.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service's group manager, Mark Warwick, said of the dog teams: "In the time that they have been there they have roughly cleared about 500 buildings.

"The dogs are moving systematically through areas and are providing wide area search really, really quickly."

Warwick, who is based in Fulwood near Preston, said communication and the conditions were proving tricky.

He added: "The heat and humidity is definitely a factor out there."

The highly experienced UK has worked on the ground in different earthquake zones including Turkey and Morocco in 2023 where they helped to rescue survivors trapped under rubble.

The scale of the disaster has overwhelmed local services in Venezuela.

With little infrastructure left standing nine days after the tremors, bodies have had to be put outside or in temporary tents.

Tens of thousands of people are still missing after the quakes hit on 24 June.

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