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

Nearly a week after a catastrophic 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, search teams continued their laborious work in the rubble, grappling with the aftermath of the natural disaster that left hundreds dead and thousands more displaced. The epicenter of the quake was in San Jose del Palmar, wreaking havoc from the bustling Pacific port city of Buenaventura to Colombia's renowned coffee-growing region and major cities, including Cali and Pereira.

According to official estimates, the death toll has climbed to approximately 290, with 140 people still missing and nearly 4,000 injured. The brunt of the fatalities was borne by Cali and Pereira, where hundreds of apartment blocks, homes, churches, schools, and hospitals were either damaged or completely destroyed.

As rescue efforts transitioned from active search operations to recovery endeavors, aftershocks continued to heighten the risk for both rescue crews and residents still unable to reclaim their homes. With the chances of finding additional survivors dwindling, the relief operation in Colombia expanded, and aid was flooding in. Bogota, the nation's capital, was transformed into the epicenter of the relief effort, with a stadium converted into the country's largest donation collection center.

Volunteers across Bogota were working tirelessly to sort and transport a plethora of supplies, including food, clothing, medicine, and basic necessities, to the affected areas. Sencia, the coordinating organization, revealed that over 7,000 volunteers contributed to the distribution of 700 tons of aid over the span of five days.

In Pereira, authorities went a step further, extending emergency support to injured pets and distributing donated animal food, showcasing the far-reaching impact of the disaster on families whose livelihoods and dwellings had been utterly upended. As the country's newly installed president, Abelardo De La Espriella, faced his first major crisis, he vowed to oversee the relief and reconstruction process.

De La Espriella detailed that Colombian billionaire banker Jaime Gilinski, who also owns the food company Nutresa, pledged 150 billion Colombian pesos ($47.75 million) towards the reconstruction of hospitals and schools in Gilinski's hometown, Cali.