Rescuers continued searching collapsed buildings in western Colombia on Tuesday after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake killed at least 132 people and caused widespread damage. Emergency teams, soldiers, firefighters, volunteers and relatives were working through the rubble in Cali and Pereira, listening for survivors trapped beneath concrete and debris.
The extent of the destruction in the remote Choco region remains unclear. More than 2,700 people were reported missing on citizen-run websites by Monday night, but authorities said that figure does not necessarily represent confirmed missing people, while officials warned the death toll could rise as search teams reach more affected areas.
Where the earthquake caused the most damage
Dozens of people were killed in Cali, where President Abelardo de la Espriella initially reported 35 deaths. Buildings in the city of about 2.2 million people were destroyed or left dangerously leaning. Local authorities in Risaralda, the region that includes Pereira, reported at least 40 deaths. Officials also confirmed nine deaths in Choco, two in Caldas and one in Antioquia involving a 73-year-old person.
About 1,600 buildings were damaged or destroyed, including the towers of a historic cathedral in Manizales. Several upper floors of a Cali hospital collapsed, trapping some patients and forcing about 600 others to receive care on a rubble-strewn street. At least 700 people were reported injured in Valle del Cauca, after an initial nationwide report of 87 injuries.
Related coverage: Colombia earthquake kills at least 20 as buildings collapse.
Rescue operations face difficult conditions
In Cali, volunteers formed human chains to move concrete, bricks and other debris by hand. Firefighters said two women and two children were rescued from a collapsed building. In Pereira, rescue workers said they were in contact with a boy trapped beneath a bakery while cranes removed dangerous parts of damaged structures.
Authorities sent engineers, rescue workers and search dogs to Choco, where San Jose del Palmar was identified by the United States Geological Survey as the epicentre. The community has about 4,800 people and is roughly 400km west of Bogota. Much of Choco can be reached only by boat or plane, making it harder to assess the wider toll.
Government response and international aid
The government declared a national state of emergency and said rescuing people trapped under rubble was its first priority. About 1,000 security-force members were due to be deployed to Cali after reports of looting, while nighttime curfews were introduced in Cali, Armenia and Manizales. Hospitals in five cities were placed on red alert, and airport operations in six cities were suspended for structural inspections.
The Colombia Geological Service recorded 21 aftershocks by late Monday and warned that further tremors were possible. The government also promised rental subsidies for people whose homes were damaged and postponed Cali’s Petronio Alvarez Music Festival and professional football matches. The United States announced $15.5m in emergency assistance for shelters, food and earthquake relief, while the European Union mobilised its Copernicus satellite service to support rescue operations.
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