Firefighters rescue man from rubble in southern Cali after magnitude 7.4 earthquake: 'My son is a warrior'

In the midst of devastating destruction caused by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake, a dramatic rescue unfolded in Cali, Colombia, offering a sliver of hope. Carlos Esteban Rebolledo Martínez was pulled alive from the debris of the Torres del Limonar building in the Capri neighborhood after being trapped for hours.

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My son is a warrior; he was trapped since 7:30 in the morning in this building that completely collapsed. I always had hope that he would come out alive.

The earthquake, which struck with its epicenter in San José del Palmar, Chocó, has left a grim toll across the country, with official figures reporting at least 181 fatalities and over 1,310 injured. Cali, in particular, has been heavily impacted, with Mayor Alejandro Eder confirming 85 deaths and 885 injuries in the city alone.

Rebolledo Martínez's mother, speaking to Caracol Radio, described her son as a "warrior," expressing her unwavering hope for his survival. He was in his third-floor apartment when the building collapsed. While his rescue brought immense relief, the tragedy has deeply affected his family. His uncle, Alejandro Martínez Prado, was confirmed dead, and his grandmother, Ángela Prado de Martínez, remains missing, still buried within the collapsed structure.

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I feel like I was born again.

Images captured the intense nighttime rescue operation, showing firefighters and emergency personnel carefully extracting the young man. Amidst the shouts of encouragement from onlookers, his mother's voice could be heard offering comfort. Though visibly injured, Rebolledo Martínez expressed feeling "born again," his immediate concern, however, shifting to his grandmother's fate.

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Son, I am here.