Life confirmed under rubble, bodies found in Cali after earthquake

In the El Limonar sector of Cali, Colombia, the air thrummed with a desperate energy. Rescuers and civilians, faces etched with exhaustion and hope, toiled amidst the colossal debris of collapsed buildings. This was the grim reality following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that had ravaged the Valle del Cauca region.

Cadenas humanas, human chains, guided the way to the work zone – a mountain of rubble that was once multiple structures. Buckets filled with debris moved back and forth as firefighters, rescuers, and paramedics conducted targeted search and rescue operations. They relieved dozens of volunteers who had spent hours under the relentless sun, painstakingly removing debris.

“

If anyone is alive, please knock twice.

As dusk settled, authorities began to cordon off the area, asking civilians to step behind safety tapes. Impatience rippled through the crowd. Fire department spokespeople made increasingly urgent calls for any sign of life from beneath the rubble – a tap, a cry, any signal. Whispers of "I heard someone down there" and "It was a woman, right?" circulated among those who had worked to clear the path.

At 7:58 p.m., the first clear signs of life emerged. A woman, taking a leading role, began calling out to those trapped. First, general calls: "If anyone is alive, please knock twice." Then, specific pleas: "Xiomara, if you are alive, please make a sound." These calls continued for over half an hour as oxygen tanks and water bottles were lowered into the debris, signaling the commencement of a critical rescue.

“

Xiomara, if you are alive, please make a sound.