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"We had searched for her for so long," says mother of rescued young woman
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic /Disasters & Emergencies

"We had searched for her for so long," says mother of rescued young woman

From Diario Libre · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Daniela Largo, 32, was rescued from hotel rubble in Pereira, Colombia, after being trapped for over 35 hours following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake.
  • Rescuers found her after a neighbor heard her calling for help, renewing hope for survivors amidst dwindling expectations.
  • Largo was taken to a hospital for evaluation, while search efforts continue for other missing individuals, including her brother.

Amidst dwindling hopes, rescuers pulled Daniela Largo, 32, from the rubble of a hotel in Pereira, Colombia, more than 35 hours after a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake devastated the region. The dramatic rescue brought cheers and applause from exhausted rescue workers and volunteers who had been working day and night.

I'm happy because when we had searched for her for so long (...) and at the moment we were losing hope, we received a call

— Sandra Milena PérezDaniela Largo's mother expressed her joy and relief upon learning her daughter was found alive.

Largo emerged on a stretcher, wrapped in a blue blanket, and was immediately taken to an ambulance. Her mother, Sandra Milena Pérez, 50, expressed immense relief and joy. "I'm happy because when we had searched for her for so long... and at the moment we were losing hope, we received a call" that reignited their hope, she told AFP.

The rescue was a painstaking effort. Largo was trapped beneath a collapsed floor that pinned her legs. Rescuers, working in the dark after the quake knocked out power, carefully maneuvered debris. "Daniela, close your eyes!" rescuers shouted as they worked to extract her.

Daniela, close your eyes!

— RescuersRescuers shouted instructions to Daniela Largo as they worked to free her from the debris.

Her mother described the ordeal as "too much anguish" but found reward in patience. She had been seen earlier holding a "missing" poster with her daughter's photo. Pereira is among the cities hardest hit by the earthquake, which has claimed at least 216 lives according to revised figures. Search efforts continue in the debris piles, with rescuers urging silence to listen for any signs of life.

If someone hears me, shout or make a noise

— RescuerA rescuer urged silence from others to listen for potential survivors in the rubble.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Diario Libre in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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