Colombia Declares Three Days of National Mourning After Devastating Earthquake

Colombia has declared three days of national mourning after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake killed more than 200 people, while rescue teams race against time to find those trapped under the rubble.

The government said on Wednesday that flags would be flown at half-staff at government buildings and Colombian embassies worldwide in memory of the victims.

The earthquake on Monday was the strongest in a century to hit the country. It leveled buildings and destroyed many roads in western Colombia. More than 100 aftershocks had been recorded by Tuesday afternoon.

The disaster is also an early test for President Abelardo de la Espriella, who had taken office just three days before the quake struck. The first president to come to power in a deeply divided election, he now faces the first major crisis of his term.

Government figures put the number of injured at 2,595 and officially missing at 195, while civilian databases suggest the number of unaccounted for could be nearly 4,000.

The search for survivors is becoming increasingly urgent as the disaster enters its third day. Aid organizations say the first 48 to 72 hours are often the most critical for finding people alive under collapsed buildings, though some can survive longer if they have water and food.

Rescue crews worked through the night in some of the hardest-hit cities, including Cali, Pereira, Manizales, and Quibdo. In Pereira and Cali, rescuers used cranes, sniffer dogs, and heavy machinery, while volunteers formed human chains to clear debris by hand.

In Cali, entire neighborhoods appeared flattened, with piles of rubble where rows of houses and apartments once stood, and cars crushed under concrete and fallen walls. Residents joined firefighters in searching for survivors, digging with pickaxes, shovels, and bare hands, pausing occasionally to listen for signs of life.

But the full scale of the destruction remains unknown, especially in rural areas where little information has filtered out.

The Choco region near the epicenter, one of the poorest in the country, remains isolated. Many communities there are accessible only by boat, through dense jungle, or by air. The area has long suffered from violence between armed groups, making access to remote areas even harder.

The earthquake has put Colombia's health system under severe strain. Part of the University Hospital of Valle in Cali collapsed, forcing doctors to move patients to a parking lot and treat some outdoors.

Colombians have mobilized to help. Thousands have brought food, water, and other supplies to affected areas, while long lines formed outside blood donation centers.

President de la Espriella has declared a state of emergency and promised rent assistance for families who lost their homes.

International aid has begun to arrive. The United States announced $15.5 million in emergency assistance, and its State Department said on Wednesday that, at the request of the de la Espriella government, it is deploying urban search-and-rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles County, California, to assist in the search efforts.

The European Union also pledged $2.3 million, Mexico sent hundreds of search and medical personnel, and El Salvador said it would send two planes carrying 100 tons of relief supplies.

But for rescue teams, the immediate focus remains on searching through the rubble.