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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Damien Edgar

Bangor charity's dogs aiding Turkey-Syria earthquake search and rescue efforts

A Bangor-based charity is sending team members along with specialist search and rescue dogs to aid efforts to locate people following a devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

K9 Search and Rescue confirmed the news on Wednesday evening.

More than 11,000 people have died following the earthquake in southern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday.

Read more: Bangor dog owner's anguish after pet is mauled by off-lead dog and left fighting for life

Efforts are now focussed on locating those still missing and rescuing those trapped beneath rubble.

K9 charity founder Ryan Gray said they would do everything they possibly could to help.

"This is what we train for," he said.

"The dogs we are sending are USAR dogs (Urban Search and Rescue) and specialise in detecting people in collapsed building structures.

"We are privileged to be asked to help in the rescue of survivors and hope we can reunite families with their loved ones.

"We will certainly do our very best while there."

Two black Labrador search dogs from the charity, Max and Delta, are heading out having been involved recently in high-profile rescue efforts following the Creeslough tragedy.

"We will fly to Turkey on Friday with the dogs via Dublin Airport but really have no idea of the scale of devastation we will face upon arrival," Ryan said.

"We will get straight to work, knowing this search and rescue mission is time sensitive and every minute that passes can be the difference between life and death.

"Being a self-funded charity we would encourage local people to support our efforts which will allow us to stay as long as it takes to complete this search and rescue. We would be grateful of any support in the coming days and weeks."

For those wishing to donate, they can do so here.

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