Rescue workers in Colombia are racing against time to find survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the western part of the country on Monday.
The death toll has now climbed above 200, with reports indicating that the number could rise further as emergency teams reach more remote and badly damaged areas. The strongest earthquake to hit Colombia this century has caused widespread destruction across several cities and towns, including Cali, Pereira and other parts of the coffee-growing region.
Search teams have been working through unstable piles of concrete, steel and debris, using sniffer dogs, drones and heavy machinery to locate people who may still be alive. Families and volunteers have also joined emergency workers in digging through the rubble, desperate to find missing relatives.
The rescue operation has become increasingly urgent as thousands of people remain unaccounted for. Different local estimates have put the number of missing people in the thousands, while authorities continue efforts to verify the figures.
In one dramatic rescue, emergency workers pulled a 32-year-old woman alive from the rubble of a collapsed building on Tuesday, offering a rare moment of hope amid the devastation. Rescuers have also reported other successful recoveries as teams continue searching damaged structures.
Pereira and Cali are among the worst-hit areas, with major building collapses and damage to essential infrastructure. Hospitals and other public facilities have also been affected, making it harder to treat the large number of injured people and provide shelter to those who have lost their homes.
The earthquake has left thousands without reliable access to electricity, water and other basic services. In some remote areas, damaged roads and communication networks are making it difficult for emergency supplies and personnel to reach affected communities.
Authorities have warned that aftershocks could further complicate rescue operations. Crews are therefore working carefully while trying to make the most of the crucial window in which survivors trapped under rubble are most likely to be found.
International assistance has also begun arriving as Colombia struggles to cope with the scale of the disaster. The government has promised financial support and begun planning for a major reconstruction effort.
the focus remains on the rubble. With hundreds confirmed dead and thousands still potentially missing, rescuers are continuing their search in the hope of turning more desperate scenes into stories of survival.
