Mexican “Topos” are already in Cali working on the search for earthquake survivors
Jornadas de rescate - Topos Aztecas - Carrera 56 con 3ra.
- From the Unified Command Post (PMU), led by Mayor Alejandro Eder, an update on the figures related to the impacts caused by the earthquake was reported Tuesday night, with 74 fatalities, 1,008 injured, 238 people reported trapped, 88 people rescued, 107 buildings collapsed, and 643 buildings with structural damage.
Santiago de Cali, August 12, 2026
The “Topos Aztecas,” a group of volunteer Mexican rescuers, arrived in Cali directly from Venezuela to assist with efforts to search for possible survivors of the earthquake that struck last Monday, August 10.
Héctor Mendez, president of the volunteer group, who is currently on the ground in the areas most affected, said they arrived in the capital of Valle del Cauca after spending 41 days in La Guaira, Venezuela.
“We decided to come here before going home. We thank Mayor Alejandro Eder for welcoming us to Cali. ‘Thank you for providing us with this team of such valuable people; we are going to try to overcome this together,’” he said.
The rescuer stated that “the motivation is to preserve life and for people to know that they are not alone. We volunteers do this out of love.”
These Mexican emergency responders primarily use electromagnetic waves and mechanical (acoustic) waves, through high-tech equipment, to locate people trapped under the rubble.
“At this moment, we have not found anything, but we are going to look at other points throughout the city, where people have been working since the moment of the earthquake to identify the areas where we can operate,” Mendez said.
Communications Team
Office of the Mayor of Cali