Climate & Environment
Rescuers race to find survivors after Colombia's deadly 7.4 earthquake
The national government reported 181 deaths Tuesday, while local authorities cited by Reuters put the toll at 250 Wednesday as crews searched damaged cities across western Colombia.
Executive summary
- The disaster: A magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday morning, causing widespread damage in Pereira, Cali, Manizales and Quibdo and shaking cities across Colombia and neighboring countries.Associated PressReutersLe Monde
- The toll: Colombia's national government reported at least 181 deaths and 2,595 injuries Tuesday; local authorities cited by Reuters raised the death toll to 250 Wednesday, showing that the national count was still being reconciled.Associated PressReutersEl Pais
- The search: Authorities listed 195 people as officially missing, while civilian databases contained more than 4,000 names, a much broader figure that had not been verified by the government.Associated Press
- The response: International assistance began arriving as Colombian officials deployed rescue teams and emergency supplies, with the first 72 hours regarded as the most critical period for finding people alive.Associated PressEl Pais
Rescue teams searched collapsed buildings across western Colombia on Wednesday, two days after a magnitude-7.4 earthquake killed at least 181 people according to the national government. Local authorities cited by Reuters later put the death toll at 250, underscoring that the count remained unsettled as reports arrived from damaged cities and remote communities.Associated PressReutersEl Pais
The earthquake struck Monday morning near San Jose del Palmar in Choco and caused severe damage in Pereira and Cali, with additional destruction reported in Manizales and Quibdo. The shaking was felt in Bogota and as far away as Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela. Roads buckled, buildings collapsed and transportation links were disrupted across the affected region.Associated PressEl PaisLe Monde
President Abelardo de la Espriella said Tuesday that 2,595 people had been injured. Authorities had 195 people on the official missing-person list, but civilian databases contained more than 4,000 names. The Associated Press reported that officials cautioned the larger figure had not been verified and could include duplicate entries or people who had lost communications rather than been trapped.Associated Press
The response has become an early test for de la Espriella's government, which took office five days before the earthquake. The administration changed the leadership of Colombia's disaster-risk agency during the emergency, while regional authorities and rescue crews worked through damaged infrastructure and uneven access to the hardest-hit areas.Associated PressEl Pais
International help was beginning to reach the country Wednesday. El Pais reported that Mexico sent 19.5 metric tons of supplies, the United States sent 22 rescue specialists and El Salvador dispatched two flights carrying food and emergency equipment. Colombia's foreign ministry also continued working to locate foreign nationals reported missing after the quake.El Pais
Crews were still finding survivors. In Pereira, rescuers pulled Daniela Largo from rubble late Tuesday after a 12-hour operation, according to the Associated Press. That rescue illustrated both the possibility of finding people alive and the pressure on teams working through the narrow window when trapped survivors are most likely to be reached.Associated Press