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Colombia quake rescue efforts enter ‘final phase’ as toll hits 239
🇯🇲 Jamaica /Disasters & Emergencies

Colombia quake rescue efforts enter ‘final phase’ as toll hits 239

From Jamaica Observer · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Ongoing story
  • Colombia has declared three days of mourning following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that killed 239 people.
  • The earthquake, the strongest this century, devastated towns in the west, leaving thousands of families homeless.
  • Rescue efforts are in the "final phase" as officials focus on the critical window for finding survivors.

Colombia is observing three days of national mourning after a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the country, killing at least 239 people and devastating towns across its western coffee-growing region. The quake, the strongest to hit Colombia this century, has left an estimated 3,700 families homeless, according to the national disaster management agency.

We were losing hope and then we received a call.

— Sandra Milena PerezHer mother, reacting to the rescue of her daughter Daniela Largo from earthquake rubble.

Emergency crews in the cities of Pereira and Cali worked through the night, employing cranes, search dogs, and heavy machinery in a desperate hunt for survivors. Volunteers formed human chains to manually clear debris, a testament to the widespread community effort. A rare glimmer of hope emerged when rescuers pulled 32-year-old Daniela Largo alive from the rubble of a Pereira hotel after she was trapped for 35 hours.

"We were losing hope and then we received a call," her mother, Sandra Milena Perez, told AFP, expressing gratitude to a local resident who heard cries for help and alerted neighbors before professional rescuers arrived. "I thank him with all my heart because thanks to him today we are happy… a son is waiting for her at home."

I thank him with all my heart because thanks to him today we are happy… a son is waiting for her at home.

— Sandra Milena PerezExpressing gratitude to a neighbor who helped locate her daughter after the earthquake.

Officials acknowledge that rescue teams are entering the critical "final phase" of the search, referring to the initial 72-hour window when survivors are most likely to be found. Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder stated, "That doesn’t mean there won’t be survivors afterwards, but it is more difficult." Despite the dwindling odds, veteran volunteer Julio Cesar Pineda expressed continued hope, saying, "I know that today and tomorrow we will pull people out alive."

We’re entering the final phase of the first 72 hours. That doesn’t mean there won’t be survivors afterwards, but it is more difficult.

— Alejandro EderCali Mayor, describing the critical stage of the earthquake rescue operations.

The earthquake's impact is visually stark, with aerial views of Cali showing flattened neighborhoods where entire blocks of homes and apartment buildings have been replaced by piles of rubble. The disaster has strained the health system and prompted one of Colombia's largest disaster responses in recent years. Many survivors are spending nights outdoors in makeshift shelters, fearing aftershocks and grappling with the loss of their homes.

These are critical hours because two days have already passed. I know that today and tomorrow we will pull people out alive.

— Julio Cesar PinedaA veteran volunteer, expressing determination in the ongoing search for earthquake survivors.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jamaica Observer. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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