Colombia: Rescuers dig through rubble as earthquake deaths surpass 240
What's the story
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia on Monday has killed more than 240 people so far and left many homeless. The quake was the strongest to hit the country in a century. Rescue operations are now underway in Pereira and Cali, where entire blocks have been reduced to rubble. Rescuers are using cranes, dogs, and heavy machinery to search through collapsed buildings while volunteers form human chains to clear debris by hand.
Survivor stories
Residents use tools, bare hands to dig through collapsed buildings
Survivors have shared their harrowing experiences of being trapped under rubble.
"The house came down on top of us. I wasn't able to get out," Beatriz Arcos, who was trapped with her husband and mother beneath their collapsed condominium, told AFP.
"It took about an hour to get us out."
In Cali, residents are using tools and their bare hands to dig through collapsed buildings.
Community response
Families vigilantly waiting for news of loved ones
According to AFP, every few minutes, rescuers stopped to call into the rubble and listen for a response.
"One of the rescuers asked anyone trapped to whistle, and someone whistled back," volunteer Andres Felipe Mejia said.
Rescuers subsequently pulled a man and a baby from a collapsed building, but the man's wife remained trapped, he said.
Aerial views show neighborhoods in Cali flattened with piles of rubble replacing homes. Cars are crushed under fallen walls and concrete slabs.
Post-quake impact
Survivors camp outdoors amid fears of aftershocks
Many survivors are now camping outdoors due to fears of aftershocks or damaged homes. A park in Pereira has been turned into a makeshift shelter with tents and mattresses.
The Hospital Universitario del Valle in Cali also suffered major damage during the quake. Three floors collapsed, reducing its capacity from 590 to 350 patients.
Despite this, Colombians have come together to help those affected by providing water, food, and supplies to neighborhoods impacted by the earthquake.
Aid response
President de la Espriella declares state of emergency
President Abelardo de la Espriella has declared a state of emergency and promised rent subsidies for affected families.
The United States has announced $15.5 million in emergency aid.
By Monday night, more than 2,700 persons had been reported missing on citizen-run websites; however, this figure does not always represent the number of people confirmed missing.