Rescuers find survivors as Colombia earthquake toll rises

Rescuers are still finding survivors after Colombia’s 7.4-magnitude earthquake, as casualty figures rise and international aid moves into hard-hit western regions.

The quake struck at 07:34 local time on 10 August and was felt across major cities, including Cali, Pereira, Manizales and Quibdó. Chocó remained on maximum-response alert after the Colombian Geological Service recorded more than 100 aftershocks, according to the latest available figures. CNN reported more than 70 aftershocks in its live coverage.

Casualty figures remain fluid. The latest central government count, cited by AP, stood at 181 confirmed dead, 2,595 injured and at least 195 officially missing. Reuters’ latest city-based compilation put the toll at more than 250, including 101 deaths in Pereira and 95 in Cali. At least 181 deaths have therefore been officially confirmed, while local tallies put the toll above 250.

Initial UN assessments said 12 departments had been affected, with thousands of homes damaged, hundreds destroyed and damage reported to health facilities, schools, roads and airports. AP earlier reported that roughly 1,600 buildings had been damaged or had collapsed.

Survivors found in Cali and Pereira

In Cali, firefighters from Bogotá’s Urban Search and Rescue team pulled Carlos Esteban Rebolledo, 35, alive from thedebris at about 03:57 on 11 August. He suffered relatively minor injuries and was reported to be out of danger. Later that day, rescuers freed Diana Troncoso, 31, after a complex operation involving search dogs, structural shoring, cutting and debris removal.

AP reported that rescuers pulled a baby alive through an opening in a concrete wall. CNN said Brian Osorio Zuluaga heard a faint voice from the collapsed La Torre del Limonar residential complex saying, “I’m here. I’m with a baby,” before neighbours lifted a concrete slab long enough to clear a path and free the child.

Reuters described rescuers using cranes, excavators, search teams and human chains, repeatedly calling for silence so crews could listen for survivors beneath collapsed structures. CNN footage from Pereira showed rescue workers, volunteers, a crane and canine teams searching through the remains of an apartment building.

International aid reaches affected areas

The European Union said on 12 August that it was providing €2 million ($2.3 million) for communities in the worst-hit areas and had 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 needs. CNN reported that a U.S. Disaster Assistance Response Team was arriving in Colombia to support the coordination of relief efforts.

El Salvador is dispatching two cargo aircraft carrying a combined 100 tonnes of humanitarian supplies, with the first scheduled to leave on Tuesday night and the second on Wednesday. President Nayib Bukele said Colombia had requested supplies rather than additional foreign rescue personnel.

Mexico has said it is prepared to provide 255 troops specialised in search and rescue, as well as health personnel, medical supplies and equipment, once Colombia formally requests assistance. The UN World Food Programme has about 4,500 tonnes of food positioned close enough to the disaster zone for rapid deployment, while the UN has identified shelter, healthcare, food security and protection as urgent needs.

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Damaged roads hamper relief efforts

Inside Colombia, Direct Relief is financing emergency flights by Patrulla Aérea Civil Colombiana into Chocó, carrying blood units, medical personnel, medicines and urgent supplies to difficult-to-reach communities such as Condoto.

Access remains one of the main obstacles. CNN reported that the La Italia district near the epicentre had sufferedstructural damage, was without water or electricity and had been cut off by 18 landslides on the main road to Cartago. Some communities near the epicentre had still not received government assistance by Tuesday, with damaged roads and disrupted communications slowing assessments.

Search-and-rescue operations remain the priority rather than recovery efforts. Teams are working through the critical 48- to 72-hour period after the quake, although people can survive for longer beneath debris depending on injuries, air pockets, temperature and access to water.

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Colombia Earthquake Humanitarian aid disaster relief search and rescue