Colombia earthquake death toll climbs to 273, hundreds missing

A devastating earthquake has claimed 273 lives in Colombia, with 377 people still missing, disaster management director David Santiago Tamayo reported Thursday. The seismic event, which struck on Monday, has left a trail of destruction, affecting 40,753 families. Over 12,500 homes were destroyed and another 74,000 sustained structural damage.

The National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences has received 250 bodies, identifying 227 and returning 189 to their families. The earthquake's epicenter was in San José del Palmar, Chocó, in the Pacific region. The disaster has also left 3,824 injured and severely impacted public and private infrastructure, with 172 buildings collapsed, 2,198 educational centers affected, and 216 health centers damaged.

To expedite damage assessment, the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (Ungrd) has partnered with NASA and The International Charter for Space and Major Disasters. This collaboration utilizes high-precision technology, including 166 satellite images processed to diagnose destruction in hard-hit cities like Cali, Pereira, and Manizales. Inspection flights have also surveyed 13 departments, focusing on Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, Caldas, Quindío, and Chocó.

"All this technical effort seeks to strengthen the precise diagnosis of ground damage, ensuring that authorities can make the most pertinent decisions for the attention of the event that originated the current emergency," Tamayo stated. In parallel, Ungrd is monitoring the Puracé volcano in Cauca, which has been on orange alert for a month, preparing for potential evacuations if its activity increases.

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All this technical effort seeks to strengthen the precise diagnosis of ground damage, ensuring that authorities can make the most pertinent decisions for the attention of the event that originated the current emergency.