Colombia's President Abelardo De La Espriella has pledged to establish an emergency fund to rebuild infrastructure damaged by Monday's 7.4-magnitude earthquake. Rescuers, meanwhile, are racing to find survivors as search operations enter a critical phase.
The death toll has reached 265, with 496 people officially reported missing, according to figures cited by Reuters.
The earthquake struck at 07:34 local time on 10 August and was felt across major cities including Cali, Pereira, Manizales and Quibdó.
"This is undoubtedly a tragedy of immense proportions," De La Espriella said in a national address. "Our efforts are focused on those who remain missing."
The quake injured around 3,770 people and damaged or destroyed thousands of homes across 12 departments. Colombia's Geological Service has recorded more than 100 aftershocks, with Chocó remaining under the highest emergency alert.
Search-and-rescue operations remain focused on buildings where people may still be trapped, particularly in Cali and Pereira.
Crews are using cranes, excavators, search dogs, sensors and human chains to clear rubble, while repeatedly calling for silence to detect signs of life beneath collapsed structures.
Several survivors have already been rescued. In Cali, firefighters pulled 35-year-old Carlos Esteban Rebolledo alive from the debris early on 11 August. Later that day, rescuers freed 31-year-old Diana Troncoso after a complex operation involving search dogs, structural shoring and debris removal.
Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder warned that rescuers were "racing against time" as the critical 72-hour period following the earthquake began to run out.
Families wait for news
The earthquake has left families across the affected regions waiting for information about missing relatives.
Santiago Lloreda, 31, told that the earthquake killed his mother and his 13-month-old daughter, Salma.
"My daughter was a dream made reality," he said. "My mother was the pillar of our family, she took care of everyone and always made you laugh."
Another relative, who identified himself only as Ricardo, travelled from Miami to recover his sister's body and praised the efforts of doctors and neighbours.
President faces first major test
De La Espriella, who was inaugurated just three days before the earthquake, declared an economic emergency to address the damage but did not immediately provide details of the measures.
The disaster is seen as the first major test of his presidency. He campaigned on reducing public spending and had proposed cuts to Colombia's state risk-management system, which is now at the centre of the emergency response.
The European Union has pledged €2 million ($2.3 million) for communities in the worst-hit areas and activated its Copernicus satellite emergency service to support damage assessments and rescue operations.
The U.S. has committed $15.5 million in emergency assistance focused on shelter, food and protection, while a U.S. Disaster Assistance Response Team is being deployed to help coordinate relief efforts.
El Salvador is sending two cargo aircraft carrying a combined 100 tonnes of humanitarian supplies. Mexico has offered 255 search-and-rescue specialists, along with medical personnel, supplies and equipment, if Colombia formally requests their deployment.
The UN World Food Programme has about 4,500 tonnes of food positioned near the affected areas, while the UN has identified shelter, healthcare, food security and protection as urgent needs.
Access to some of the hardest-hit communities remains a major obstacle. Landslides have blocked roads and disrupted communications, with some areas near the epicentre reporting shortages of water and electricity.
The earthquake has caused widespread damage to homes, health facilities, schools, roads and airports, adding pressure on the new government as rescue operations continue and authorities begin assessing the scale of reconstruction required.
For centuries, Lahore has been shaped by the people, cultures and empires that passed through it. Now, the Pakistani city is preparing to put that ...
A U.S. campaign to throttle Iran...
The resolution, sponsored by African countries and led by Togo, passed by 164 votes to one, with six abstention...
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
The Iranian Army has again struck at U.S. bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for U.S. attacks on southern and western parts of Iran late on Tuesday, which reportedly killed 18 people and injured more than 100 others.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
The resolution, sponsored by African countries and led by Togo, passed by 164 votes to one, with six abstentions. The United States was the only country to vote against it.
Food prices around the world rose sharply in August, reaching their highest level since late 2022 as extreme weather and disruptions caused by conflicts drove the surge according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
Southern Chinese provinces were bracing for more torrential rain on Friday after Typhoon Saudel triggered severe flooding, swamping vehicles, collapsing at least one building and forcing mass evacuations.
President Donald Trump is leaving more than a paper trail from his time in office. The U.S. is now minting commemorative $1 coins for America’s 250th anniversary, featuring a portrait of the sitting president.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment