Colombia rescue efforts press on after quake

Rescue operations are continuing into a second day in western Colombia as emergency personnel work tirelessly to find survivors amidst the debris of collapsed structures. The country is grappling with the aftermath of its most powerful earthquake in decades, a 7.4-magnitude tremor that struck early Monday.

The earthquake has tragically claimed at least 164 lives so far, and authorities fear the death toll will climb as the full extent of the devastation becomes clear. The quake reduced multi-story buildings to rubble in key cities such as Pereira and Cali, and even damaged a historic cathedral in Manizales. Emergency teams, bolstered by police, soldiers, and volunteers, have been working through the night, using excavators and their bare hands in a desperate search for those trapped.

In Cali, a city of approximately 2.2 million people, at least 85 fatalities have been reported. The earthquake left dozens of buildings precariously leaning or completely destroyed, forcing residents into the streets. A hospital in Cali experienced partial collapse in its pediatric care sections, trapping some patients and necessitating the treatment of around 600 others outdoors on rubble-strewn streets.

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A moment ago there was scratching but now we can’t hear anything, we still have faith that the dog is alive and we can get these people out.

Carmen Yasmin Garcia, a resident volunteering with rescue teams in Cali, shared the harrowing experience of freeing seven people from a collapsed building, while four others and a dog remained trapped. "We still have faith that the dog is alive and we can get these people out," she said, appealing for more volunteers with basic tools like sticks and spades.

Pereira, the capital of the hard-hit Risaralda state, reported 66 deaths. President Abelardo De La Espriella, who recently took office, stated that 35 people died in Cali alone, with 188 individuals reported missing. Following reports of looting, he announced the deployment of 1,000 security force members to Cali by dawn. Curfews were implemented in Cali and Pereira on Monday night.

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