Death Toll Only Rising: The Hard Data from the Colombia Earthquake

At least 254 people have been killed in the earthquake that struck Colombia several days ago. Rescue efforts continue around the clock, and in Cali a woman was pulled alive from the rubble of a building. Colombia's president declared a national state of emergency and promised economic aid. More than a hundred aftershocks have been recorded, three airports are closed, and curfews have been imposed in Cali, Pereira, and Manizales. The government has not yet published a unified casualty count, and the number is expected to rise.

At least 254 people have been killed in the severe earthquake that struck Colombia several days ago, and rescue efforts continue around the clock. Rescue teams are using cranes, excavators, and rescue dogs, and in many cases they are clearing debris by hand and asking the crowd to keep quiet to listen for sounds under the concrete. In Cali, there were moments of hope when a woman was pulled alive from a collapsed residential building, and the crowd applauded as she was evacuated on a stretcher. In contrast, the city's health secretary reported that the morgue was full and that authorities had to prepare to receive more bodies. Rosa González, who fled with her husband and baby from a guesthouse in Pereira, told Reuters: "The building began to creak, and the moment we got outside, the building collapsed." José Gallego, who was at Pereira's airport during the quake, described "injured people, bleeding, screaming, and trying to reach their families," adding that the scenes in the city were "like a nightmare come to life." Volunteers also report heavy mental strain. Esteban Gutiérrez, 29, who helped in rescue efforts in Pereira and Cali, told Cadena SER radio that he cannot sleep and that the hardest part is extracting bodies from the rubble. Colombia's president, Abelardo de la Espriella, declared a national state of emergency and promised economic aid to families who lost their homes. More than a hundred aftershocks have already been recorded, and in some areas there is still no water, electricity, gas, or proper road access. Three airports remained closed on Tuesday, and curfews were imposed in Cali, Pereira, and Manizales over fears of looting. In Chocó department, a local community leader said residents have to climb trees to get an internet signal and that some villages have no medical center or basic equipment. The government has not yet published a unified and updated national count, so there are gaps between the figures reported by different departments and cities. Emergency officials warn that the death toll could continue to rise as searches advance into areas that remain cut off. Thousands of families had to spend the night in sports halls, makeshift shelters, and open spaces, fearing that aftershocks would topple buildings damaged in the initial quake. Meanwhile, hospitals continue to receive hundreds of casualties.