Colombia Earthquake Kills 111 as Rescue Teams Search Rubble
A powerful earthquake has killed at least 111 people in western Colombia, with thousands missing and widespread damage reported.
Search and rescue teams were working across western Colombia on Tuesday after a powerful earthquake killed at least 111 people.
The Colombia earthquake, which struck on Monday with a magnitude of 7.4, damaged or destroyed around 1,600 buildings across cities including Cali, Quibdo and Pereira. Soldiers, rescue workers and volunteers searched through collapsed structures for survivors.
More than 2,700 people were reported missing by Monday night, with families using citizen-run websites to share information about relatives they could not find.
In El Cairo, authorities said about 80 per cent of the town’s buildings were damaged. Dana Carolina Zamora said her 60-year-old uncle, Miguel Ángel Zamora, remained missing after the earthquake struck near the epicentre in San Jose Del Palmar.
“We are afraid. We hope that is not the case, that he is all right and that it is only a communication failure. But we haven’t heard anything from him,” Zamora said.
The epicentre was in Chocó, one of Colombia’s poorest regions, where difficult terrain and limited transport links have complicated efforts to assess the full scale of the destruction.
President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office only days before the disaster, travelled to Quibdo and ordered the deployment of military and police personnel, engineers, rescue workers and search dogs. He also announced rental support for people whose homes were damaged.
“Choco will never again be the ‘land of the forgotten,’” he said.
The United States has pledged $15.5 million for emergency shelter, food and other assistance, while several Latin American governments have offered support.
The Colombia earthquake is the strongest recorded in the country this century, adding to concerns following devastating earthquakes in neighbouring Venezuela in June.
As rescue operations continue, authorities are still working to establish the full extent of the damage and locate those missing.
How can Colombia speed up rescue and relief efforts in the hardest-hit communities?
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