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

Bogota, Colombia - The search for survivors in the aftermath of a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia five days ago is becoming increasingly grim, with more bodies being recovered each day. The quake, which occurred just after 7:30 a.m. in San Jose del Palmar, caused extensive damage to buildings across the region, from the Pacific port of Buenaventura to major cities like Cali and Pereira.

As of Saturday, at least 294 people had lost their lives and an additional 320 remained missing, with nearly 4,000 more injured, according to Colombia's disaster management unit. A significant portion of the fatalities were concentrated in Cali and Pereira. While there are still some promising leads, such as one site where signs of life were reported by Cali fire captain Alberto Hernandez, the majority of rescue efforts are now focused on recovering bodies.

With a population of over 2 million, Cali is Colombia's third-largest city, and rescue workers continue their tireless efforts to clear the rubble and search for any remaining survivors.