PEREIRA, Colombia — The Colombia earthquake death toll climbed past 200 today as rescue teams dug through shattered buildings across the nation’s coffee belt, working against the clock to find survivors after the 7.4-magnitude quake struck early Monday, according to local authorities.
Families kept vigil beside collapsed structures, waiting for signs of life. The powerful quake, Colombia’s strongest in decades, left apartment blocks, homes, schools and health centers cracked, leaning or leveled throughout western cities and towns.
In the hardest-hit areas, crews worked overnight with cranes, excavators and their hands, cutting through twisted metal and hauling debris in buckets in an urgent effort to reach people believed to be trapped.
Interior Minister Rodrigo Lara said authorities remained focused on saving lives and moving in rescue teams, medical supplies and field hospitals.
Colombia earthquake death toll rises as damage assessments expand
The U.N. humanitarian office said Monday night that 126 people had been confirmed dead and 1,495 injured. Local estimates today put the toll at about 224, reflecting a still-unfolding disaster as crews access more neighborhoods and communications improve.
Nearly 5,000 homes were damaged, with dozens of buildings collapsed and hundreds of residences destroyed, according to humanitarian officials.
In Cali, residents gathered in the streets after parts of homes and apartment towers failed. Families cooked outdoors, salvaged belongings and prepared to spend another night away from unsafe structures.
Several upper floors of a city hospital, including pediatric areas, collapsed, trapping some patients and forcing staff to care for about 600 others on a rubble-strewn street, the hospital’s director said.
In Pereira, one of the worst-hit cities, entire sections of neighborhoods were reduced to slabs of broken concrete and exposed rooms. Residents and volunteers formed human chains to pass debris, while others paused to listen for tapping or cries from beneath the rubble. “They’ve already pulled several people out, some alive and some dead,” said a 33-year-old resident who spent the night in a park after her apartment building was badly damaged.
Airports closed, services disrupted as aid ramps up
The quake damaged key infrastructure. Civil aviation officials shut six airports — Quibdó, Pereira, Manizales, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura — while dozens of roads were reported affected.
Electricity, water, health services and phone networks remained disrupted in several areas, particularly in Chocó near the epicenter, complicating rescues and aid delivery.
Authorities activated emergency command centers as responders and aid groups moved in shelter materials, drinking water, hygiene kits, food and medical support.
International assistance began to arrive. The United States allocated $15.5 million for emergency shelter, food, protection and damage assessments. The Inter-American Development Bank said $50 million was immediately available to support reconstruction if requested by the government.
With communications still spotty in some of the worst-hit zones, officials cautioned that the full scope of damage and the final Colombia earthquake death toll could take days to confirm.
