Rescue teams in Colombia are racing against time to find survivors after Monday’s powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake, as search operations entered their fourth day in the western part of the country.
According to local officials, at least 265 people have been killed and more than 3,500 injured, while nearly 500 remain missing. It is considered the strongest earthquake to hit Colombia this century.
In the city of Pereira, rescue crews are focusing on a collapsed bakery where they believe street vendor Pablo Loaiza may still be trapped beneath. Specialized teams using vibration sensors and sniffer dogs have detected intermittent signals suggesting there may still be survivors under the rubble.
Outside the site, relatives wait anxiously. “My heart feels like it’s about to jump out of my chest,” said Sara Loaiza, 16, Pablo’s niece.
Rescue workers in Cali and Pereira are digging through unstable debris with cranes and hand tools, frequently calling for silence to listen for cries for help.
President Abelardo de la Espriella has declared a “state of economic emergency” and three days of national mourning, while thousands are sleeping outdoors in temporary shelters. Volunteers are organizing donations of food, water, and blood for the hardest-hit communities.
