Rescue crews in western Colombia worked through Tuesday, digging through massive piles of rubble and calling for silence to detect survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the country’s coffee-growing heartland.
The quake, described as the most devastating to hit Colombia this century, destroyed or severely damaged homes, apartment blocks, schools and health centres. Reports from affected cities put the death toll at 254, including 101 deaths in Pereira and 95 in Cali.
Rescue teams used cranes, excavators, bare hands and human chains to clear debris. In Cali, crowds cheered after rescuers pulled a woman alive from the ruins of the Torres del Limonar apartment complex, although authorities said the city’s morgue had reached capacity.
Thousands of people were left homeless, while damaged roads, airports and communication networks hampered emergency operations. Several communities in Choco, near the epicentre, remained without electricity, water, gas, medical supplies and other basic services.
Community leader Andres Caicedo described the desperate situation in Sipi: “We’re going up trees for scraps of internet connection. We have children and older people who still haven’t gotten over the shock … We don’t have a health center or medical supplies, we’ve done what we can with our own hands.”
Survivors described terrifying scenes. Pereira resident Rosa Gonzalez recalled: “The structure started creaking and just as we ran outside the building collapsed.”
Social media influencer Jose Gallego, who was in Pereira when the earthquake struck, said: “There were people injured, bleeding, screaming and trying to reach their families.” Describing the devastation, he added: “It was like a nightmare come to life.”
The earthquake generated more than 100 aftershocks, forcing many survivors to remain outdoors. Animal shelters also appealed for food, medicine and volunteers.
READ ALSO: 7.4-Magnitude Earthquake Kills Over 100 Across Colombia
President Abelardo De La Espriella visited affected areas and pledged economic assistance to families who lost their homes. Meanwhile, the National Coffee Federation began assessing damage to farms and rural infrastructure.
Authorities warned that the full scale of the destruction and the final death toll could take days to establish because communications remain unreliable in some of the worst-hit areas.
Reuters
