{
  "id": 577932,
  "title": "Colombia earthquake death toll surges to 224 as search for survivors continues",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/colombia-earthquake-death-toll-surges-to-224-as-search-for-survivors",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-11T14:32:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2022111/colombia-earthquake-death-toll-surges-to-224-as-search-for-survivors-continues"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck western Colombia has risen to 224, with rescue efforts ongoing in search of survivors. The 7.4 magnitude quake, the most powerful to hit the South American nation in decades, devastated cities like Pereira and Cali, flattening numerous buildings and collapsing the spires of a cathedral. Emergency teams, aided by police, soldiers, and volunteers, worked tirelessly through the night, using excavators and their bare hands to dig through debris in hopes of finding trapped survivors. Jose Fernando Usma, head of the search and rescue efforts for the Colombian Red Cross, expressed optimism, stating that there is still a significant window of time to potentially save lives, as they have approximately 24 more hours. In Cali, alone, at least 95 people were killed, with several top floors of a hospital collapsing, leaving some patients trapped and forcing 600 others to be treated on the street. In Pereira, the capital of the affected Risaralda region, 72 deaths were reported. The disaster has prompted comparisons to a 1999 earthquake that killed over 1,000 people in the same region, as well as to a catastrophic quake that claimed more than 6,300 lives in neighboring Venezuela in June. The European Union has pledged support, providing funding for rescue and relief operations, deploying Copernicus satellites, and activating its crisis consular assistance mechanism to help EU citizens affected by the disaster. Meanwhile, Colombia's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and widespread destruction, extending heartfelt condolences to the Colombian government and people, as well as to the families who have lost loved ones.",
  "summary": "The death toll from a devastating earthquake that flattened dozens of buildings in western Colombia jumped to 224, local authorities said on Tuesday as emergency workers dug through the wreckage for survivors. Rescue efforts carried into a second day as emergency workers dug through collapsed buildings and flattened homes, amid expectations that the death toll from the country’s most powerful…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}