Colombia rescue efforts press on after earthquake; death toll stands at 164, expected to rise
Rescue efforts across western Colombia carried into a second day on Tuesday as emergency workers dug through collapsed buildings and flattened homes, amid expectations that the death toll from the country’s most powerful earthquake in decades could rise. The 7.4-magnitude earthquake tore through Colombia’s coffee-growing heartland early on Monday, killing at least 164 people. The quake reduced…
Rescue operations in western Colombia entered their second day on Tuesday following the most powerful earthquake to strike the country in decades. The 7.4-magnitude quake claimed at least 164 lives, with the death toll expected to climb further. The quake struck Colombia's famed coffee-growing region early Monday, causing extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure.
In the city of Cali, which is home to approximately 2.2 million residents, at least 85 people lost their lives, according to authorities. At least 66 people died in Pereira, the capital of the hard-hit Risaralda state. The disaster has been compared to a devastating 1999 quake that killed over 1,000 people in the same region, as well as a 2025 earthquake that left more than 6,300 dead in neighboring Venezuela.
The European Union has pledged financial support to aid the rescue efforts, deploying its satellite service Copernicus and activating its crisis consular assistance mechanism for EU citizens caught in the disaster.
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