Search teams comb Colombia rubble nearly a week after quake as aid effort expands

Nearly a week after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, rescue teams continued their efforts to recover survivors from the rubble on Sunday, as the death toll surpassed 290, with over 140 still unaccounted for and 4,200 wounded. The quake, which hit the city of San Jose del Palmar on Monday morning, caused significant damage across the region, from the Pacific port of Buenaventura to coffee-growing towns and major cities like Cali and Pereira.

More than two-thirds of the fatalities were in Cali and Pereira, where apartment buildings, homes, churches, schools, and hospitals were either damaged or destroyed.

In the city of Cali, the third-largest city in Colombia, emergency workers were still searching unstable piles of concrete and twisted metal for any signs of life. Captain Alberto Hernandez of the Cali fire department stated that miracles could occur, but based on the extensive damage they had observed, there was no indication that anyone was still alive.

Aftershocks further complicated the rescue operations, necessitating careful and methodical work to avoid endangering both rescuers and residents attempting to return home.

The relief operation expanded as the situation worsened. In Bogota, the national capital, a stadium was converted into the country's largest donation collection center, while authorities in Pereira were treating injured animals and distributing donated pet food. Claudia Galeano, 53, recounted her loss in Pereira, where she had lost her home and her father, Arnulfo Galeano, who was rescued from the rubble but later died in the hospital.

Galeano expressed her frustration, noting that while her father's death was a tragedy, many others in the region were in even worse situations – displaced, without family, and left to fend for themselves.

President Abelardo De La Espriella, who had taken office just days before the disaster, now faced the challenging task of coordinating relief and reconstruction efforts. He acknowledged the earthquake as the first major crisis of his presidency and emphasized the need for a comprehensive response to aid those affected by the catastrophe.

The earthquake also prompted significant financial contributions; Colombian billionaire Jaime Gilinski pledged 150 billion pesos (approximately US$47.75 million) to rebuild hospitals and schools in Cali, while the Santo Domingo family, a prominent media empire in Colombia, had already committed US$32 million on the previous day.