The death toll from Colombia’s devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake has climbed to 287, with nearly 400 people still unaccounted for and almost 4,000 injured, as rescue teams race against time in the coffee-region city of Pereira.
The quake struck shortly after 7:30 a.m. on Monday, August 10, with its epicenter in San Jose del Palmar in the province of Choco. It toppled apartment blocks and damaged homes, schools and hospitals across western Colombia, from the Pacific port of Buenaventura to the inland cities of Cali and Pereira.
Hotel Collapse Becomes Focus of Rescue Efforts
The operation in Pereira has become the main focus of a disaster response increasingly shifting from the search for survivors to the grim work of clearing debris and accounting for the missing. Rescue workers believe four people may still be trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed hotel in the city.
Hernan Giraldo, the father of 24-year-old Juan Felipe Giraldo, had been waiting at the site since Monday night. “My son is getting married on Sunday,” Giraldo told Reuters. “I’m waiting here to hug my son, alive.” Tragically, the Manila Times reported that Giraldo found his son’s body on Friday afternoon.
Venezuelan Rescuers Bring Hope After Their Own Disaster
Venezuelan rescue workers who arrived in Pereira after searching for survivors from the devastating twin quakes that hit their country’s Caribbean coast just seven weeks ago were helping at the site with thermal imaging cameras. “We’ll always have high hopes; we’ve found people alive even 10 days later,” said Cristian Acevedo, one of the Venezuelan rescue workers.
The scale of the disaster is staggering. Government figures show that tens of thousands of homes, schools, healthcare facilities and public infrastructure have been destroyed or severely damaged across western Colombia. Cali and Pereira account for over two-thirds of those killed, and more than half the injured are in major cities.
A series of powerful aftershocks has further complicated rescue and relief operations, increasing the risk of additional collapses in already damaged buildings. The widespread damage has placed significant strain on the region’s infrastructure and forced thousands of families to seek shelter in temporary facilities or remain outdoors.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national emergency and launched search and rescue operations. The government has committed to a major reconstruction effort, though officials acknowledge the full scope of the disaster is still becoming clear. The quake was felt across much of western and central Colombia and in parts of neighboring Ecuador and Panama.
Sources: Reuters; QNA; The Manila Times; Wikipedia; Onmanorama
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