Northern Ireland rescue dog Max deployed to Venezuela earthquake zone as death toll nears 600

Published on June 29, 2026

A specialist search and rescue team from Northern Ireland has begun deploying to Venezuela after a major earthquake struck parts of the South American country.

K9 Search and Rescue NI confirmed on Friday that members of its team had checked in at Belfast International Airport and were beginning their journey to the disaster zone to assist international humanitarian efforts following back to back earthquakes in the country.

Nearly 600 people have been killed after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes struck just minutes apart on Wednesday night, while 50,000 people have been reported missing.

According to government officials in the country, as of Friday morning around 200 people continue to be trapped under fallen buildings, with rescue efforts under way in the country’s capital Caracas.

The NI team have said they will first travel to London, where they will join colleagues from international disaster response charity Serve On, before continuing to Madrid to link up with members of SAR Team ahead of travelling into the affected area.