Colombia has declared three days of national mourning after Monday’s magnitude 7.4 earthquake killed more than 200 people. Flags will be lowered to half-staff at official buildings and Colombian embassies worldwide in honour of those who died, the government said on Wednesday.
Rescue crews are searching collapsed buildings for survivors as the disaster enters its third day. Government figures put the number of injured at 2,595 and the officially missing at 195, while civilian-run databases suggested that nearly 4,000 people could be unaccounted for.
Rescuers work through rubble across western Colombia
The earthquake was the strongest to hit Colombia in a century, flattening buildings and damaging roads across the country’s west. More than 100 aftershocks had been recorded by Tuesday afternoon.
Crews worked through the night in Cali, Pereira, Manizales and Quibdo. In Cali and Pereira, rescuers used cranes, search dogs and heavy machinery, while volunteers cleared debris by hand and residents helped firefighters search with picks, shovels and their bare hands.
Related coverage: Search for survivors continues after Colombia’s magnitude 7.4 quake.
Remote areas remain difficult to assess
The full scale of the destruction is still unclear, particularly in Choco near the earthquake’s epicentre. Many communities in the region can be reached only by boat, through the jungle or by air, and violence involving armed groups has made access to remote areas more difficult.
Aid agencies said the first 48 to 72 hours are generally the most critical for finding people alive beneath collapsed buildings. People can survive longer when they have access to water and food, but the search has become increasingly urgent.
Hospitals and displaced families face immediate pressure
Part of the Hospital Universitario del Valle in Cali collapsed, forcing doctors to move patients into a parking lot and treat some people outside. Thousands of Colombians have brought food, water and other supplies to affected neighbourhoods, while long lines have formed at blood donation centres.
More context: Colombia earthquake kills at least 20 as buildings collapse.
President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a state of emergency and promised rent subsidies for families who lost their homes. The earthquake is the first major crisis of his presidency, which began three days before the disaster.
International assistance begins arriving
The United States announced $15.5m in emergency aid and said it was deploying urban search-and-rescue technical teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles County, California, after a request from the Colombian government.
The European Union pledged $2.3m. Mexico offered hundreds of search and health workers, while El Salvador said it would send two planes carrying 100 tonnes of aid. Rescue crews, however, remain focused on searching the rubble for survivors.
Also read: Rescuers search for survivors after Colombia’s deadly 7.4 quake.
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