Last Updated:
Colombia declares three days of mourning after a 7.4-magnitude quake killed 250 people, as rescue teams continue searching rubble for survivors in Pereira and Cali.
People remove a Colombian flag from the rubble as they work at the site of a building damaged in an earthquake, in Pereira, Colombia. (Photo: Reuters)
Colombia has declared three days of mourning for victims of the powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the western part of the country on Monday, killing 250 people and leaving rescue teams racing against time to find survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
The government said flags would be lowered to half-staff at official buildings and Colombian embassies abroad “in honour of all the dead”. The quake, described as the strongest to hit Colombia this century, has triggered one of the country’s largest disaster responses in years.
Rescuers Race Against Time To Find Survivors
Emergency crews in Pereira, Cali and other affected areas have been working around the clock, using cranes, heavy machinery, sniffer dogs, cameras, radar and seismic sensors to search through the rubble. Volunteers have also formed human chains to clear debris by hand.
More than 1,600 buildings have reportedly been damaged or collapsed, while hospitals, airports and major highways have also been affected. Aftershocks have forced many survivors to spend nights outdoors in makeshift shelters.
The first two days after an earthquake are considered crucial for finding people trapped beneath rubble, with some experts saying hopes of finding survivors quickly fade after the 72-hour window.
Cali, Pereira Among Worst-Hit Areas
The destruction has been widespread, with neighbourhoods in Cali appearing flattened as piles of rubble replaced entire blocks of homes and apartment buildings. Cars were also left crushed beneath fallen walls and concrete slabs.
In Cali, part of the Hospital Universitario del Valle collapsed during the earthquake, forcing doctors to move patients to a parking lot and treat some of them in the open air.
The quake also overwhelmed parts of the health system as emergency teams continued rescue and relief operations across the affected areas.
August 12, 2026, 10:48 PM IST
Read More
Source link
[ad_3]
