Rescue of infant and man highlights community effort after Colombia quake

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, toppling a five-story residential block in Cali. Witness Brian Osorio Zuluaga, who was returning home on a motorbike, stopped at the rubble and began calling for survivors despite warnings of a possible gas leak. A faint voice responded, indicating a baby was trapped. Osorio and several bystanders lifted a heavy concrete slab together, eventually exposing the infant, whose color returned as the debris was cleared. The baby, handed to a police officer, was taken to an ambulance, while rescuers continued to free a man still half-trapped under the slab.

The rescue was captured on video, showing the infant in a dusty bodysuit and a bloodied man lying on his side. Osorio said the effort demonstrated the importance of collective action, noting that “unity is strength, because no one person alone could have lifted that piece of rubble.”

Search and rescue operations entered their third day, with officials reporting more than 200 deaths. International assistance, including satellite support and funding from the European Union, was pledged. In nearby cities, volunteers formed human chains to clear debris and extract victims. However, in the quake’s epicenter, the Chocó region’s indigenous communities reported limited aid, with leaders urging authorities to deliver food and medicine.

The disaster arrives as Colombia’s new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, begins his term, facing one of his first major national emergencies.