Rescue teams continue search for survivors after Colombia's 7.4-magnitude quake
Two days after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, officials say at least 181 people are dead, thousands injured, and rescue operations are racing against the critical 48- to 72-hour survival window.
Rescue crews are still sifting through rubble in the western Colombian cities of Pereira, Cali, Manizales and Quibdó, seeking survivors of a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck on Monday. President Abelardo de la Espriella reported on Tuesday that the disaster had killed at least 181 people, injured 2,595 and left 195 missing, while civilian-run databases listed more than 4,000 missing as of Wednesday.
The first 48 to 72 hours after a major quake are considered crucial for locating trapped victims, although the window can be extended if those individuals have access to food and water. In Pereira, rescuers spent 12 hours carving a small opening in debris to free a woman who was then stabilized with IV fluids and taken to an ambulance.
Authorities have converted sports arenas, schools and other public facilities into temporary shelters for thousands of displaced residents. In a white tent set up in a Pereira park, 48-year-old Edith Penagos said she and her teenage son now have "a roof over our heads, food, water and medical care."
Humanitarian groups say the earthquake adds pressure to an already fragile situation marked by poverty and decades-long internal conflict. Giovanni Rizzo, Colombia director for the Norwegian Refugee Council, said the quake "compounds an already severe humanitarian situation, and there is a need for increased support for the humanitarian response."
The United Nations resident coordinator in Colombia, María José Torres, noted that existing humanitarian presence in the region allowed aid workers to shift quickly to disaster relief. The United States has pledged more than $15 million in assistance, while Mexico and El Salvador have announced plans to send health workers, supplies and aircraft loaded with aid.
International leaders, including Mexico’s president and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, expressed solidarity with the victims and pledged further assistance.