{
  "id": 687601,
  "title": "Pereira, the 'zombie city' devastated by Colombia's earthquake",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/pereira-the-zombie-city-devastated-by-colombias-earthquake-687601",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-12T17:25:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Buenos Aires Times",
    "slug": "buenos-aires-times",
    "url": "https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/latin-america/pereira-the-zombie-city-devastated-by-colombias-earthquake.phtml"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Pereira, a city in Colombia, has been devastated by a powerful earthquake, leaving at least 240 people dead. Jorge González, a 35-year-old resident, is desperately searching for his 87-year-old aunt, Nubia Bonilla, among the ruins of a four-story building. The 7.4 magnitude quake struck the coffee capital on Monday morning. González has been tirelessly working on the rubble, but the chances of finding his aunt alive are diminishing. The death toll is rising with each passing hour, and by daybreak, residents began returning to their damaged homes to salvage belongings.\n\nThe city is now a \"zombie city\" with almost all areas without electricity, and the cell network is patchy. Water and food items are running short in supermarkets and shops. The streets are littered with debris, and the buildings are either collapsed or cracked. Thousands of homes have been destroyed, and cars are crushed by fallen walls. Street vendor Maribel Verano is desperately searching for her missing mother and sister, who were trapped in a hotel that collapsed during the quake. The 1999 earthquake and the 1985 eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano are haunting memories for the residents as they try to rebuild their lives for the second time.",
  "summary": "Volunteers and rescuers search for survivors in Pereira, one of the cities hardest hit by the powerful earthquake in Colombia that has left at least 240 dead. Leer más",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 9,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Pereira, the ‘zombie city’ devastated by Colombia’s earthquake",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/pereira-the-zombie-city-devastated-by-colombias-earthquake",
        "published": "2026-08-12T13:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hellenic Shipping News",
        "title": "Maersk halts operations at Colombia’s Buenaventura after earthquake",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/maersk-halts-operations-at-colombias-buenaventura-after-earthquake",
        "published": "2026-08-12T21:00:33.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "PBS NewsHour",
        "title": "Earthquake response strains Colombia's new government and rescuers as they race against the clock",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/earthquake-response-strains-colombias-new-government-and-rescuers-as",
        "published": "2026-08-12T22:12:50.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "Miraculous rescue gives moment of hope in Colombia after devastating earthquake",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/miraculous-rescue-gives-moment-of-hope-in-colombia-after-devastating",
        "published": "2026-08-12T23:29:19.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Photos: Hope fades in Colombia as teams dig for earthquake survivors",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/photos-hope-fades-in-colombia-as-teams-dig-for-earthquake-survivors",
        "published": "2026-08-13T08:46:05.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Arutz Sheva - Israel National News",
        "title": "Israeli aid delegation departs for Colombia after earthquake",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/israeli-aid-delegation-departs-for-colombia-after-earthquake",
        "published": "2026-08-13T19:38:46.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Colombia Reports",
        "title": "Colombia says 377 still missing three days after 7.4M earthquake",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/colombia-says-377-still-missing-three-days-after-7-4m-earthquake",
        "published": "2026-08-13T19:47:06.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Global News",
        "title": "Colombia earthquake rescue continues as hundreds remain missing",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/colombia-earthquake-rescue-continues-as-hundreds-remain-missing",
        "published": "2026-08-14T13:44:37.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}