Cali quake survivors shun official shelters, build makeshift camps

In the aftermath of Monday's powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia, hundreds of displaced residents in Cali's Chiminangos neighborhood have set up makeshift camps in a local park, choosing to remain close to their damaged homes rather than move to official shelters.

The quake, which hit at 07:34 local time, has left at least 281 people dead, 3,971 injured, and 379 missing, according to the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management. The agency reports that 10,677 homes were destroyed and 65,841 damaged, affecting 44,936 families across 15 departments.

Maria Alejandra, a resident camping with her three daughters, described the terror of the moment the quake struck. Security camera footage captured her fleeing her home with her daughter as the building shook violently. "You could see those houses rumbling and shaking -- a horrible, horrible moment. People screaming, children screaming," she said.

Community leader Esther Lucia Ordonez says the camp now hosts 174 registered families, relying on donated food, water, and hygiene items from neighbors. However, tents are in short supply as more families arrive. "Families keep coming. If there are more aftershocks, the damaged walls, stairways and infrastructure pose great risks," she warned, adding that residents' lives remain at risk.

City authorities have deployed mobile health units and social workers to the area. While a primary emergency shelter exists nearby, most residents are reluctant to use it, preferring to stay close to their properties. Laura Patricia Alvarez Gomez, a shelter coordinator, emphasized the city's approach: "We're giving them the guarantees they need to be able to move to a shelter safely. What we've told them is: the priority is life -- life and safety."

Buildings across the neighborhood are marked with signs reading "Risk of collapse. No entrance," as teams continue to assess structural damage.