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Quake hits west Colombia
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on Monday, killing at least 287 people and injuring more than 3,900, as rescuers reported apparent signs of life under rubble in Cali and Pereira.
“killing at least 287 people”
In Pereira, the mayor Mauricio Salazar told FM that “contact was made with a woman who was asking for help amid the rubble” of a collapsed hotel around 4 a.m., while authorities in Cali reported at least three people trapped under collapsed buildings.
Search and rescue teams from Venezuela, Argentina and Israel joined the effort, and the window for survival was narrowing at 96 hours since the temblor hit.
The AP account said the search and rescue effort has been extended through Saturday, even as residents who lost their homes faced the start-over challenge of rebuilding after the quake.
In Cali, Ebert Jonathan Morales, 38, said “There is no place to live, we lost everything,” describing how his family’s lives were upended by the disaster.
Window closes, camps grow
As the critical 72-hour window closed, The Times of Israel reported that hopes faded and camps housing Colombian quake victims grew in Cali’s streets and parks.
President Abelardo de la Espriella told reporters that “The strongest quake to hit Colombia this century devastated the western cities of Cali and Pereira,” while the same account said the tremor killed 281 people and injured almost 4,000.
The Times of Israel quoted a firefighter in Pereira saying, “Miracles do exist, but at this point it’s unlikely we’ll find people alive,” as the smell of decaying bodies began to creep into the air.
In Cali, UN News described how residents mobilized to lend a hand around collapsed buildings, with Víctor Manuel Rodríguez saying, “It was incredibly intense,” as he recalled windows shattering and neighboring buildings collapsing.
UN News also captured the rhythm of rescue work and waiting, quoting Víctor as saying, “It’s heartbreaking to see bodies being removed, but when a person is saved alive, you feel an incredible surge of energy.”
Rebuilding, missing, and aid
With search shifting toward debris removal, Reuters said crews in Cali moved from search-and-rescue to debris removal at most sites, while David Tamayo, head of Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, said “the likelihood of finding survivors is dwindling.”
“the likelihood of finding survivors is dwindling”
Reuters reported that the 7.4-magnitude quake struck shortly after 7:30 a.m. on Monday, toppling apartment blocks and damaging homes, schools and hospitals, and it said 379 people were still reported missing.
In Pereira, Reuters described Enrique Marin driving more than 10 hours from Bogota after a call that his mother was trapped, and Marin said she was rescued with vital signs but “she died on the way to the hospital.”
The AP account said the government faced another challenge as rebuilding a nation shattered by the disaster affected more than 100,000 people, with tens of thousands of houses damaged or destroyed.
AP also reported that nearly 4,000 people were injured and hundreds remained missing, while President Abelardo de la Espriella announced a plan to partner with private companies to rebuild and subsidies for families who were homeless.
