Colombia Earthquake: Rescuers Race Against Time as Death Toll Rises

Rescue teams and volunteers in western Colombia are working through the rubble of collapsed buildings, searching for survivors after a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the region on Monday. The quake, which rattled cities including Cali, Quibdo, and Pereira, has killed at least 111 people, according to President Abelardo de la Espriella.

More than 1,600 buildings have been reported damaged or destroyed. In many areas, soldiers and rescue personnel are being assisted by lines of civilians who are passing large pieces of concrete by hand to clear debris. The search is painstaking, and the outcome is not always hopeful. One local resident, José Luis Lozano, described hearing a trapped man calling for help in the morning, only to see him pulled out lifeless hours later. In a separate instance, he noted that a young girl was rescued alive from the wreckage.

The full scale of the disaster is still unknown, particularly in the Choco region near the epicenter in San Jose Del Palmar. This is one of Colombia's poorest and most isolated areas, often accessible only by boat or plane, and is frequently affected by armed group activity. Families are using citizen-run websites to post information about missing loved ones, with more than 2,000 people reported missing by Monday night.

President de la Espriella, who was sworn in over the weekend, has traveled to Quibdo, the capital of Choco, to assess the damage. He has mobilized the military and police, deploying engineers, rescue workers, and search dogs, and has announced rental subsidies for those whose homes were damaged. He stated that Choco will never again be the 'land of the forgotten.'

The United States has pledged $15.5 million in aid for emergency shelter and food, with other Latin American governments also offering support. The earthquake has unnerved many in the Andean nation, coming just weeks after two devastating quakes in neighboring Venezuela killed more than 6,300 people.