Colombia earthquake damage: about $9.6 billion
Colombia's president revealed an initial estimate of damage from the 7.4-magnitude earthquake: about $9.58 billion. As of August 13, at least 265 people were killed, over 3,500 injured, and 496 missing. The Israeli aid delegation "Brit Re'im" is operating in Cali and preparing to transition from rescue to rehabilitation.
Colombia's president, Abelardo de la Espriella, revealed the initial estimate of the economic damage caused by the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the country's west on August 10: about 30 trillion Colombian pesos, or about $9.58 billion, according to a report by Reuters. The quake caused heavy damage over a wide area, from the port of Buenaventura on the Pacific coast, through the coffee-growing region, to the major cities of Cali and Pereira. As of August 13, the death toll stood at at least 265 people, more than 3,500 were injured, and 496 were listed as missing. Cali suffered 95 deaths, and Pereira recorded 79 deaths, where a 32-year-old woman was rescued alive after 36 hours under the rubble. The Israeli aid delegation "Brit Re'im," a joint effort of the IDF, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, numbers about 80 rescuers and experts, arrived in the country about 96 hours after the disaster, and operated at three of five active destruction sites in Cali. The delegation's commander, Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Pinto, said the forces are preparing to transition from the rescue phase to rehabilitation, in cooperation with local authorities. The Israeli delegation is the largest among the aid delegations that operated in the country.