Colombia quake death toll tops 250 as rescuers race to find survivors

Colombia’s worst earthquake in a generation has claimed over 250 lives, with search teams continuing to comb through rubble in the wake of the disaster. The 7.4-magnitude tremor struck on Monday, tearing through the country’s coffee-growing heartland and causing widespread destruction. Rescue crews worked tirelessly on Tuesday, using cranes, excavators and manual labor to clear debris and locate survivors. Initial reports indicated that the death toll had risen to 254, with 101 fatalities recorded in Pereira and 95 in Cali, the nation’s third-largest city. The earthquake hit just days after the inauguration of President Abelardo De La Espriella, who visited the hardest-hit regions and pledged financial aid to those displaced. In Pereira, one of the most severely affected towns, Rosa Gonzalez recounted how she and her family narrowly escaped the collapse of the guesthouse she managed. She described the chaos as the building came down around them, leaving eight survivors among a group of dozens. An elderly man was found trapped on a terrace, raising fears he might not have survived. Social media influencer Jose Gallego, who was filming at Pereira airport when the quake struck, captured harrowing footage of the scene. His account highlighted the panic and injuries as people scrambled to safety. The quake triggered nearly 100 aftershocks, forcing many to remain in open spaces for fear of further collapses. Thousands were left homeless as entire residential complexes crumbled, and others sustained structural damage. Families waited anxiously for local authorities to determine whether their homes were safe to reoccupy. Meanwhile, animal shelters called for assistance, requesting food, medical supplies and volunteers to care for displaced pets. In Cali, the situation was equally dire. Residents cooked on the streets and salvaged belongings from the ruins, showing resilience amid the devastation. Rescuers and volunteers gathered near the collapsed Torres del Limonar apartment complex, where crowds cheered as a woman was pulled from the rubble and rushed to a hospital. However, the grim reality was evident elsewhere, with the city’s morgue overwhelmed by the influx of bodies. Public health official German Escobar confirmed that authorities were removing additional corpses from the streets. Infrastructure damage extended beyond residential areas. Six airports, Quibdo, Pereira, Manizales, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura, were temporarily closed due to structural concerns, disrupting travel and emergency response operations. Dozens of roads were also damaged, complicating access to remote areas. Electricity, water, healthcare and communication services remained disrupted in several regions, particularly in the coastal department of Choco, where Indigenous communities faced severe challenges. Governor Nubia Cordoba described the extent of the damage as “unquantifiable,” underscoring the scale of the crisis. The United States announced it had allocated $15.5 million in humanitarian aid to support recovery efforts, focusing on emergency shelter, food distribution and damage assessments. International organizations and neighboring countries are also mobilizing resources, though the long-term impact of the disaster remains uncertain. As rescue operations continue, the focus shifts toward rebuilding and restoring essential services to the affected populations.