Colombia Earthquake: Death Toll Rises to 216, Thousands Missing Amid Rescue Efforts

Rescue teams in Colombia are racing against time to find survivors after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake devastated several cities in the country's west. At least 216 people have died and over 2,500 are injured, according to official figures released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The death toll was revised down from an earlier count of 241.

While official figures list 195 people as missing, an unofficial database has received more than 4,000 search requests, highlighting the scale of the crisis. Cities like Pereira, Cali, Manizales, Quibdó, and Armenia were severely impacted by the tremor, the strongest to hit the South American nation in decades. Thousands are now homeless as their homes have either collapsed or become uninhabitable due to deep cracks.

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The missing are our top priority right now.

Newly sworn-in President Abelardo De La Espriella visited the affected regions, assuring victims of economic assistance. "The missing are our top priority right now," he stated during a visit to Pereira. Rescue workers are sifting through rubble, calling for silence to listen for any signs of life from those trapped.

Specialized teams with search dogs are working in over 1,100 collapsed residential buildings and structures. Experts note that the chances of finding survivors diminish significantly after 72 hours, marking the third day of critical rescue operations. In Cali, a dramatic rescue saw a woman freed after being trapped for nearly 30 hours, drawing applause from onlookers. "We worked hard in a very complex scenario," said firefighter Santiago Sánchez, describing the painstaking effort to reach the woman trapped on the second floor of a once five-story building.

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We worked hard in a very complex scenario.