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Quake toll and rescue
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on Monday, killing at least 287 people and injuring more than 3,900, with rescue teams racing against time in cities including Cali and Pereira.
“killing at least 287 people”
In Cali, triplet sisters Anna Maria, Isabella and Sofia were trapped when a four-story building collapsed, and Ana Maria survived by finding shelter under a wooden table while her sisters and their parents, Jairo Saavedra, 63, and Victoria Caicedo, 61, were killed.
Rescue efforts continued as search-and-rescue teams from Venezuela, Argentina and Israel joined the search for survivors, and at 96 hours since the temblor hit, the window for survival was narrowing Friday afternoon.
In Pereira, 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 apparent signs of life with at least three people trapped under collapsed buildings.
Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella, inaugurated just days before the earthquake, said Thursday night that “the situation is complex” and announced a plan to partner with private companies to rebuild and provide subsidies for families who were homeless.
Israeli mission and backlash
Israel’s rescue mission began operating after an advance team landed in Cali, with Ambassador Alon Lavi and Brig. Gen. Yossi Pinto departing for a situational assessment and survey of relevant rescue sites.
The mission was described as “Brit Re’im” or “Covenant of Friends,” and i24NEWS said the delegation must also distribute water and food to quake victims while working alongside Colombian teams among collapsed buildings.
But the appearance of Israeli personnel in videos sparked criticism from Colombian activists after clips circulated that were claimed to document their participation in search and rescue operations, including a clip activists described as closer to a publicity stunt than a real rescue operation.
Colombian activist Derly Lopez mocked one of the clips, saying that the Israeli soldiers who always appear in their neat military attire in videos “had a brilliant idea for staging a scene,” and former Colombian President Gustavo Petro said the Israelis left the scene without rescuing anyone despite urging them to stay.
In response to the controversy, the Israeli Army spokesperson Ronni Kaplan posted that they were working alongside firefighters, the army, and local authorities in different sites in Cali, confirming that Israel “stands with” Colombia in the aftermath of the disaster.
Aftermath and what’s at risk
As the overall search for survivors wound down, Colombia faced rebuilding pressures after the earthquake affected more than 100,000 people, with tens of thousands of houses damaged or destroyed and authorities reporting damage to thousands of schools, medical facilities and community centers in more than 400 cities.
“affected more than 100,000 people”
In Cali, Ebert Jonathan Morales, 38, said “There is no place to live, we lost everything,” describing how he, his wife and four children were trying to rebuild from scratch while waiting for government help.
The Israeli teams’ stated focus included inspecting buildings damaged by the earthquake, especially healthcare and educational structures, and working with local authorities to map and classify damaged areas to set priorities for continued work in the field.
Israel’s adviser Roni Kaplan said the costs are not borne by Colombia or by the mayors, emphasizing that “All expenses are borne by the Government of Israel,” while the mission would remain in the country “for as long as necessary and for as long as we can really help the Colombian people and authorities.”
At the same time, Save the Children in Colombia’s director María Mercedes Liévano warned that the disaster was “a crisis on top of a crisis,” leaving communities including Buenaventura and Choco in “extreme vulnerability,” as national and international funds were set to focus on reconstruction of hospitals, schools, homes, roads and airports.
