Colombia earthquake kills 111, rescue teams search rubble for missing
A powerful earthquake in western Colombia has killed at least 111 people, with over 2,700 missing and 1,600 buildings damaged.
Rescue teams in western Colombia worked through the night and into Tuesday morning, digging through collapsed buildings in dozens of towns after a powerful earthquake struck the region on Monday. The 7.4-magnitude quake has killed at least 111 people, according to President Abelardo de la Espriella, and left many more trapped under debris.
The quake rattled major cities including Cali, Quibdo, and Pereira, as well as numerous smaller communities. Officials reported around 1,600 buildings damaged or destroyed. Soldiers, rescue personnel, and volunteers formed human chains, passing chunks of concrete by hand as they searched for survivors.
In the hard-hit town of El Cairo, local authorities said 80% of the town of about 7,000 people was damaged. Dana Carolina Zamora posted a photo of her missing 60-year-old uncle, Miguel Ángel Zamora, who lived in a rural area near the epicenter in San Jose Del Palmar. She feared for his safety because his home was a traditional structure made of sticks and mud. "We are afraid. We hope that is not the case, that he is all right and that it is only a communication failure. But we haven't heard anything from him," she said.
By Monday night, more than 2,700 people had been reported missing on citizen-run websites. The region of Choco, which surrounds the epicenter, is one of Colombia's poorest and most isolated areas, often accessible only by boat, jungle paths, or small aircraft. The full extent of the damage there remains unclear.
President de la Espriella, who was sworn in just days ago, traveled to Quibdo, the capital of Choco, to assess the situation. He announced the mobilization of the military and police, including engineers, rescue workers, and search dogs, and promised rental subsidies for those whose homes were damaged. "Choco will never again be the 'land of the forgotten,'" he said.
The earthquake has unnerved many Colombians, coming just weeks after two devastating quakes in neighboring Venezuela killed more than 6,300 people. In Pereira, Mónica Sánchez, who runs a small uniform-making company, said a wall inside her factory collapsed as she and her 12 workers barely escaped. "It was shocking — the city fell down around us," she said.
The U.S. State Department has pledged $15.5 million in emergency aid, and several Latin American governments have offered assistance.