BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) – Thailand’s search and rescue dogs are taking on the role of emotional support animals for grieving relatives of victims of a Bangkok skyscraper flattened in a deadly earthquake.

The 30-storey high-rise under construction collapsed in seconds on Friday when a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck neighbouring Myanmar, with effects felt as far as the Thai capital.

As of Tuesday, 13 people — thought to be on-site construction workers — were pronounced dead, with nine injured and more than 70 still believed to be buried in the rubble.

Their tearful families waited near the scene of the collapse, watching on with hopes fading as rescue workers and diggers scraped through the mountain of rubble.

But their faces lit up when they saw golden retrievers Lek and Safari — decked out in official search uniforms — brought to the relatives’ waiting area.

Several canine teams have been deployed to help the search and rescue operation at the site, including from the military and police.

Rescue workers have recruited 11 dogs — not just in their usual capacity sniffing through the debris for signs of life, but also as emotional support for victims’ friends and relatives.

Alongkot Chukaew, deputy director of K9 USAR (urban search and rescue) Thailand, which handles the trained canines, said his team had learned from experience during the Turkey earthquake in 2023 that the dogs’ presence offered a light in the dark for those waiting for news of their families.

“The children whose families were lost, they walked over to our two dogs during their break. They came to play with our dogs, even as their head injuries were clearly visible,” he told AFP.

It was then that he realised the dogs were doing more than just searching for the victims — they made people feel “less anxious and less sad, even for a short while”.

He said he felt it was important to introduce the dogs to victims’ relatives for them to meet the vital team members searching for their loved ones.

“They are very valuable part of the crew,” said Alongkot, “A team that is on a mission to search for many more people around the world.”