Colombia quake death toll climbs as rescuers dig through rubble for survivors
RESCUE crews dug through mountains of rubble in western Colombia on Tuesday, repeatedly calling for silence so they could listen for survivors trapped beneath buildings brought down by the country’s most devastating earthquake this century. The magni...
Rescue efforts in Colombia intensified Tuesday as the death toll from the country's strongest earthquake in over a century climbed to more than 250. The magnitude 7.4 quake struck early Monday in the coffee-growing region of western Colombia, killing at least 254 people, with Pereira recording 101 deaths and Cali, the country's third-largest city, reporting 95 fatalities.
Rescue crews faced challenges as they excavated through collapsed buildings, damaged infrastructure, and aftershocks. The destruction left thousands homeless, and families were forced to spend nights outside awaiting assessments. Some residents, like Alberto Machado, still grappled with the loss of their homes and the uncertainty of their next steps.
Aerial footage showed the devastation extending beyond major cities, including isolated Indigenous communities in Choco who struggled to obtain basic services. The National Coffee Federation worked with affected families to assess farm and rural infrastructure damage. The disaster occurred shortly after President Abelardo De La Espriella took office, and he pledged economic support for those affected.
However, conflicting estimates of the death toll and criticism over the government's information dissemination raised concerns about the response.
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