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Colombia rescue efforts press on after earthquake; death toll stands at 164, expected to rise
🇵🇰 Pakistan /Disasters & Emergencies

Colombia rescue efforts press on after earthquake; death toll stands at 164, expected to rise

From Dawn · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Rescue efforts continue in western Colombia after a powerful earthquake killed at least 164 people, with the death toll expected to rise.
  • The 7.4-magnitude quake struck early Monday, devastating cities like Pereira and Cali, collapsing buildings, and trapping survivors.
  • International support is being mobilized, with the EU providing funding and satellite services, while Pakistan's Prime Minister expressed condolences.

Rescue operations are pressing on in western Colombia following a devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck early Monday. The powerful tremor, the country's most significant in decades, has claimed at least 164 lives, and authorities anticipate the toll will climb as search efforts continue.

We need people with sticks and spades, the more people lending a hand the better.

— Carmen Yasmin Garcia, Cali resident volunteering with rescue teamsGarcia described the urgent need for more volunteers and tools to aid in the search for survivors trapped in collapsed buildings.

The earthquake ravaged Colombia's coffee-growing heartland, reducing multi-story buildings to rubble in cities such as Pereira and Cali. In Cali, a city of 2.2 million, at least 85 people died, with dozens of buildings left unstable or destroyed. The city's hospitals were also affected, with pediatric care units collapsing, trapping patients and forcing others to be treated on rubble-strewn streets. Carmen Yasmin Garcia, a local volunteer, described the desperate search for survivors, stating, "We need people with sticks and spades, the more people lending a hand the better."

Our intention is to cooperate in any way necessary. Here, there are no distinctions or ideological divisions when it comes to defending our people or showing solidarity.

— President Abelardo De La EspriellaDe La Espriella emphasized national unity and cooperation in response to the earthquake's devastation and the subsequent deployment of security forces.

Pereira, the capital of the hard-hit Risaralda state, reported 66 fatalities. The city experienced widespread destruction, with residential blocks reduced to debris. Social media videos showed the city's airport violently swaying during the quake, with ceiling collapses occurring. An additional 13 deaths were reported in Choco province, which was closest to the epicenter. In response to the devastation and reports of looting, President Abelardo De La Espriella announced the deployment of 1,000 security force members to Cali and implemented curfews in both Cali and Pereira. "Our intention is to cooperate in any way necessary. Here, there are no distinctions or ideological divisions when it comes to defending our people or showing solidarity," De La Espriella stated.

The EU has mobilised Copernicus, our satellite service, to support rescue and relief operations. We are providing funding to support the response, including through the Red Cross.

— Kaja Kallas, European Union foreign policy chiefKallas detailed the European Union's support for Colombia's earthquake response, including satellite assistance and financial aid.

International aid is beginning to arrive. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced on Tuesday that the EU is providing financial support and utilizing its Copernicus satellite service to aid rescue operations. The EU has also activated its crisis consular assistance mechanism for affected citizens. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan expressed deep sorrow over the disaster, extending condolences to Colombia's president and its people.

We have also activated the EU’s crisis consular assistance mechanism to support EU citizens caught in the disaster.

— Kaja Kallas, European Union foreign policy chiefKallas highlighted the EU's efforts to assist its own citizens who may have been affected by the earthquake.
DistantNews Editorial

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

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