Earth Roars as Two Dozen Buildings Collapse in Cali

The ground in Cali, Colombia, turned violent at 7:34 a.m. as a powerful earthquake struck, toppling over 26 buildings and causing widespread panic. The tremor began with a subtle sway, making a resident's ceiling lamp dance before intensifying into a violent shake that shattered belongings and cracked walls.

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My building, including the terrace, is five levels, where a wall came down. In seconds, Cali's ground stopped being firm and became a violent mass that shook everything.

"My building, including the terrace, is five levels, where a wall came down," one resident recounted. "In seconds, Cali's ground stopped being firm and became a violent mass that shook everything." The immediate instinct was not to save possessions, but to find a pet, described as "paralyzed by panic" and "howling."

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My first thought was not to save an object, a wallet or the phone; it was to look for my little dog.

Seeking refuge under a dining table, the resident recalled harrowing images of past earthquakes, fearing "this was it." The experience transformed the observer into a participant in the unfolding disaster. When the shaking stopped, a stunned silence replaced the chaos, broken only by the wail of sirens.

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I found her paralyzed by panic. She was howling. I picked her up in my arms, holding her against my chest with a strength I didn't know I had, determined not to let her go no matter what happened.

Outside, the collective panic was palpable. Social media began to reveal the scale of the tragedy, showing a reality far worse than the apartment damage. Mayor Alejandro Eder confirmed the preliminary, terrifying toll of collapsed structures, noting similar damage to bridges and a pier in the tourist beach area of Juanchaco.

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I told myself: 'This is it.'