Colombia quake death toll passes 200
Colombian rescuers pulled a 32-year-old woman alive from the rubble of a collapsed building on Tuesday, sparking cheers and applause as exhausted crews raced to find more survivors from the country’s strongest earthquake in a century.
Daniela Largo was carried from the wreckage wrapped in a blue blanket as rescuers embraced and relatives shouted out with joy.
Soldiers, firefighters, and volunteers continued to scour collapsed buildings across western Colombia after Monday’s magnitude 7.4 quake.
Authorities revised the death toll down to 216 after local officials in Cali corrected earlier figures.
In Pereira and in Cali, emergency crews used cranes, dogs, and heavy machinery to search ruined buildings while volunteers formed human chains to clear debris by hand, hoping to reach people still trapped beneath collapsed structures.
As darkness fell, families prepared to sleep in parks as aftershocks rattled damaged neighborhoods where entire blocks had been reduced to rubble.
The quake overwhelmed parts of the health system, turning the rescue effort into one of Colombia’s largest disaster responses in years.
In Cali, residents armed with picks, shovels and their bare hands joined firefighters in digging through collapsed buildings.
For many families, the desperate search was becoming 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.”
While some families waited for news of missing relatives, others were 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.
Mobilizing for help
“We survived by a miracle, since I managed to get my little boy out and my partner managed to get out too.”
From the air, neighborhoods in Cali appeared flattened, with piles of grey rubble replacing entire blocks of homes and apartment buildings.
Nearby, cars lay crushed beneath fallen walls and concrete slabs.
In Cali, part of the Hospital Universitario del Valle collapsed during the quake, forcing doctors to move patients into a parking lot and treat some in the open air.
Yet amid the destruction, many Colombians mobilized to help.
Thousands brought water, food and supplies to affected neighborhoods, while long lines formed outside blood donation centers.
President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a state of emergency and promised rent subsidies for affected families on Tuesday during a visit to Pereira.
The United States announced $15.5 million in emergency aid, while messages of support and offers of assistance arrived from around the world.
As aftershocks continued to rattle damaged cities, rescue crews pressed on through the ruins, hoping more voices, taps, or whistles might still emerge.
