Hopes fade in Colombia as more bodies recovered days after powerful quake

Bogota, Colombia - As the days pass since the powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, the odds of finding survivors continue to dwindle, according to reports on Saturday. The catastrophic event occurred just after 7:30 a.m. in San Jose del Palmar, causing apartment buildings to crumble and inflicting damage to schools, churches, hospitals, and homes across a wide area, from the Pacific port of Buenaventura to Colombia's coffee-growing region and major western cities.

Colombia's disaster management unit reported on Saturday that at least 294 people have lost their lives, with 320 more missing. Additionally, nearly 4,000 individuals have been injured in the disaster. The majority of the fatalities were concentrated in Cali and Pereira, accounting for more than two-thirds of the deaths. Fire captain Alberto Hernandez of Cali told Reuters, "We have only one site where there are signs of life - Cali."

The majority of rescue efforts are now focused on recovering bodies, rather than attempting to find survivors, as Cali is Colombia's third-largest city with over 2 million inhabitants. Rescue workers continued their grueling task of sifting through mountains of shattered concrete, bricks, and metal on Saturday morning, as the situation remained grim and the hope for a positive outcome faded with each passing day.