One week after earthquake, Cali still counts its dead

Cali, Colombia, grapples with the aftermath of a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck on August 10, as recovery efforts continue one week later. The temblor has claimed 130 lives, injured 1,485 people, and 88 have been rescued, but the search persists for 19 individuals whose bodies remain trapped under rubble.

Rescue teams and volunteers are working in four critical sites, including the Hospital Universitario del Valle and several collapsed buildings. Authorities are coordinating debris removal while managing the risks of further structural failure and biological hazards. "We don't want additional victims," stated Javier Garcés, Cali's Security Secretary, emphasizing the need for coordinated efforts.

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In these sites there is debris removal, there is biological risk; if the tasks are not done in a coordinated manner, we can have more affected people. We do not want additional victims.

The city is shifting its focus from immediate rescue to body recovery, survivor care, and the initial stages of reconstruction. Simultaneously, mental health support is being prioritized, with health teams providing psychological first aid to address the ongoing uncertainty and grief. "We will enter a stage that will surely last even months or years for mourning," warned Germán Escobar, Cali's Health Secretary.

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We will enter a stage that will surely last even months or years for mourning.

Approximately 160 people are sheltered in the Miguel Calero Hockey Coliseum, with others housed in the Metropolitan Coliseum of the North. Community parks also host families in tents. Mabel Lara, head of Strategic Projects for the Mayor's Office, stated that the priority is to provide health assistance, psychosocial support, and protection for children and women in these temporary shelters.

This tragedy echoes a past disaster in Cali: on August 7, 1956, exactly 70 years and three days before the earthquake, the city experienced a devastating explosion from 40 Army trucks carrying dynamite.

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The priority is to concentrate attention in these spaces to characterize families and guarantee health assistance, psychosocial support, and protection for children and women.