Colombia searches for missing after earthquake kills more than 100

Bogota, Colombia — Rescue operations commenced on Tuesday in multiple cities and towns across western Colombia following a devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake on Monday, which claimed at least 111 lives and left numerous individuals trapped beneath the rubble of collapsed structures. The tremor affected cities such as Cali, Quibdo, and Pereira, among others.

An estimated 1,600 buildings suffered damage or collapse in the wake of the seismic event. Soldiers, rescue teams, and families joined forces to sift through the debris, carefully extracting and passing sizable chunks of concrete to awaiting volunteers. President Abelardo de la Espriella announced on Monday that the death toll had reached 111.

Desperate family members shared details of missing relatives on communal online platforms, with over 2,700 people reported missing by Monday night. Dana Carolina Zamora shared a photograph of her 60-year-old uncle, Miguel Ángel Zamora, holding his dog. The elderly farmer resided in a rural area near El Cairo, close to the earthquake's epicenter in San Jose Del Palmar.

Reports indicated that 80% of El Cairo, a town comprising roughly 7,000 residents, lay in ruins following the catastrophic quake.