Woman Pulled Alive From Rubble After Colombia's Strongest Earthquake in a Century

Colombian rescuers pulled a 32-year-old woman alive from the rubble of a collapsed building Tuesday, eliciting cheers and applause from onlookers as exhausted crews continued their desperate search for survivors. Daniela Largo was found wrapped in a blue blanket and carried from the wreckage, embraced by rescuers as relatives shouted with joy.

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We were losing hope and then we received a call.

Soldiers, firefighters, and volunteers are scouring collapsed buildings across western Colombia following Monday's powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake, the country's strongest in a century. Authorities have revised the death toll down to 216 after local officials in Cali corrected earlier figures. The quake has overwhelmed parts of the health system, prompting one of Colombia's largest disaster responses in recent years.

In Pereira and Cali, emergency crews deployed cranes, sniffer dogs, and heavy machinery to search through the ruins. Volunteers formed human chains, clearing debris by hand in hopes of reaching those still trapped. As darkness fell, families prepared to sleep in parks, with aftershocks continuing to rattle damaged neighborhoods where entire blocks have been reduced to rubble.

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Thanks to him, today we're happy.

"The house came down on top of us. I wasn't able to get out," said Beatriz Arcos, who was trapped with her husband and mother beneath their collapsed condominium. "It took about an hour to get us out." Arcos was hospitalized after a concrete block struck her back, while her husband and mother also sustained injuries. Residents in Cali joined firefighters, using picks, shovels, and their bare hands to dig through collapsed structures. Rescuers paused periodically to listen for any signs of life.

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At home her 12-year-old son is waiting for her.

For many families, the search has become a vigil. "My aunt lived there. She's under the rubble," said Jorge Gonzalez, standing beside a collapsed building in Pereira. "I arrived yesterday and I haven't left, and until they find her body I don't intend to leave here." Others are grappling with the loss of homes, possessions, and livelihoods. "We lost everything," said Stella Galvis, fighting back tears after escaping the collapse of her home. "We survived by a miracle."

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The house came down on top of us. I wasn't able to get out.