As machinery removes rubble, hopes for survivors from Colombian quake dwindle

On Sunday, workers in Colombia removed rubble using backhoes, cranes, and bulldozers, though the likelihood of finding survivors from the recent 7.4 magnitude earthquake was diminishing. The disaster killed nearly 300 people and destroyed thousands of buildings last Monday. Authorities reported that at least 140 individuals remained missing.

In the affected city of Pereira, a nursing student named Andres Cano acknowledged that the hope of finding survivors had significantly decreased. He described feeling exhausted, mostly due to mental fatigue from the experience. The earthquake marked the first major challenge for the government of President Abelardo de la Espriella, who had taken office just three days prior.

In response to the disaster, President de la Espriella requested a temporary suspension of tariffs from his US ally, President Donald Trump.

Nearly 27,000 homes were destroyed, leaving many survivors without a place to stay. They had to sleep on mattresses or makeshift beds outside. Shelters displayed QR codes, allowing those affected to report missing relatives or damage to their homes. In the most severely impacted cities, buildings were marked with a red 'X' to warn of potential collapse and restrict pedestrian access.

In Cali, Jorge Leon expressed the emotional toll of starting over again. He described his situation as feeling like being in a movie or a dream, unable to fully comprehend what had occurred. As the city's mayor, Alejandro Eder, estimated that rebuilding Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, would cost at least US$3.2 billion.

Colombia had received millions of dollars in aid from various sources, including the United States and organizations like the World Bank. However, rebuilding would require considerable time. In a five-story building that collapsed after the earthquake, a rescuer placed a red 'V' crossed by a horizontal line, signifying that the search for possible survivors had ended.

Despite this information, volunteer rescuers refused to give up, even though the chances of survival dropped dramatically after 72 hours. Juan Carlos Tabares, a 58-year-old professor leading a volunteer rescue team called 'Valentia,' emphasized their determination to keep hope alive. Even though several days had passed since the disaster, Tabares and his team continued their search, believing that hope could still be maintained.