- Hopes of finding more survivors from the powerful earthquake that rocked Colombia early this week were fading on Thursday as rescue workers narrowed their searches, while families in the worst-hit areas waited for news of missing relatives.
- In Cali, the country's third-largest city, crews have turned their attention from a search-and-rescue effort to debris removal at most sites, a sign the disaster response was entering a grimmer phase after the crucial first 72 hours.
- At least 273 people were killed — many in Cali and Pereira, a city in the coffee region — and more than 3,800 injured, according to government data on Thursday morning. It also said 377 people were still reported to be missing.
- At the Torres del Limonar residential complex in southern Cali, rescue brigades with buckets and cranes continued to search for 15 people still missing. Rescuers have found seven survivors and 13 corpses at the site.
- The government has estimated the quake destroyed more than 12,500 homes. President Abelardo De La Espriella, who took office just days before the disaster, said on Wednesday he would declare an economic emergency and create a reconstruction fund to channel domestic and international aid toward rebuilding hospitals, schools, homes and infrastructure.
- In Pereira, Enrique Marin said he drove more than 10 hours from Bogota after getting a call from a friend who told him Marin's mother was trapped underneath the rubble of her home. He said his mother was found in her pajamas with the house keys still in her hand.
- Outside major cities, rescue groups said smaller towns and communities were still struggling with little or no response from the Colombian government. Nazly Lozano, the International Rescue Committee's program assistant at the port city of Buenaventura northwest of Cali, said rescue workers had not reached some stricken areas until Wednesday night, leaving locals to dig through the rubble with their bare hands in a desperate search for survivors.
Rescue efforts in Colombia are entering a grim phase as hopes fade for survivors of the devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck on Monday.
At least 273 people have died, with over 3,800 injured and 377 still reported missing.34
In Cali, the country's third-largest city, crews have shifted focus from search-and-rescue to debris removal, indicating the critical first 72 hours have passed.2
The quake, which occurred shortly after 7:30 a.m. local time, toppled buildings and damaged infrastructure across western Colombia, particularly in Cali and Pereira.
Enrique Marin, who traveled over 10 hours from Bogota, recounted the harrowing moment he learned his mother was trapped under rubble, found in her pajamas with her house keys still in hand.910
At the Torres del Limonar residential complex, rescue teams continue to search for 15 missing individuals, having already discovered seven survivors and 13 bodies.56
Outside major cities, smaller towns are struggling with minimal government response, as locals dig through rubble with bare hands.
Nazly Lozano from the International Rescue Committee highlighted the delayed arrival of rescue workers in some areas.1112
In response to the disaster, President Abelardo De La Espriella announced plans to declare an economic emergency and establish a reconstruction fund to aid recovery efforts.78
“In Cali, crews have shifted from search-and-rescue to debris removal at most sites, signaling a grimmer phase after the first 72 hours. President Abelardo De La Espriella declared an economic emergency and a reconstruction fund after the quake destroyed over 12,500 homes.”
