Naturkatastrophe: Erdbeben in Kolumbien – 164 Tote und Suche nach Überlebenden

A devastating earthquake struck Colombia on Monday, claiming at least 164 lives and prompting rescue efforts to continue in search of survivors. The tremor, measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale, hit the Coffee Triangle region in the western part of the country. Officials fear the death toll could rise as rescue teams, soldiers, and volunteers worked tirelessly throughout the night to uncover victims trapped under the rubble.

The cities of Cali and Pereira bore the brunt of the disaster, with official reports indicating that at least 85 people, including 43-year-old volunteer Carmen Yasmin Garcia who managed to rescue seven individuals from a collapsed building, lost their lives in Cali alone. In Pereira, the capital of Risaralda province, 66 fatalities were reported.

A video circulating on social media showed the airport terminal in Pereira violently swaying and debris falling during the quake. In the rural province of Chocó, near the epicenter, 13 more people perished. President Abelardo De La Espriella, newly in office, announced the dispatch of 1000 security forces to Cali after reports of looting surfaced.

He emphasized that protecting the population and showing solidarity transcended ideological differences. The catastrophe evoked memories of a devastating earthquake in the same region in 1999, which claimed over 1000 lives. Comparisons were also drawn to the catastrophic earthquakes in neighboring Venezuela in June, where more than 6300 people lost their lives.