Cali begins demolishing buildings damaged by earthquake

Cali has begun dismantling the buildings left unsafe by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck central-western Colombia on Aug. 10, starting with the María Mercedes Lloreda building in the southern neighborhood of Cuarto de Legua.

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It will be a controlled demolition, removing debris, because there was a significant partial collapse, while the remaining floors settled where the first floor had been.

Authorities will use machinery rather than explosives because of the danger to neighboring structures. Workers will begin at the top and remove the building piece by piece, with debris transported away by truck. Officials described the process as “a construction in reverse.”

The 22-apartment building suffered extensive damage when its first floor collapsed during the earthquake. The collapse killed Elsa Valencia Giraldo, 84. Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder said officials had identified the first 11 buildings slated for demolition and would carry out the work carefully while consulting affected residents.

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Like a construction in reverse.

Eder said homes built during the city’s reconstruction would mainly go to people who lived in the demolished buildings and families who lost their homes. The earthquake killed 154 people in Cali, while 52,809 families have requested damage assessments or reported being affected. Authorities have listed 45,139 families as victims, and 492 people remain in temporary accommodation.

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I want to tell citizens that we are carrying out this work with absolute care and great sensitivity, speaking first with the affected people and making sure they are not left alone.