Police leadership in South Africa have welcomed the honour bestowed on a search and rescue team including five sniffer dogs by President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the country’s capital Ankara.
#sapsHQ #SAPS #K9Unit will join various K9 units from across the world at the Türkiye Presidential Complex in Ankara today where they will be awarded with an appreciation order by His Excellency President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for their role in search and recovery efforts during… pic.twitter.com/FwHUybfK9Q
— SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService) April 25, 2023
The group received the honour for their assistance in trying to find survivors after the devastating earthquake in February.
The SAPS team assisted in rescuing a 90-year-old after being trapped under the rubble for nine days. They also recovered about 200 bodies.
National Police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe adds, “The National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola says the team displayed excellence and expertise that exists within the organisation. The SAPS K9 Search and Rescue teams have been involved in numerous recovery operations across the world including the Haiti 2010 earthquake.”