Colombian authorities said search and rescue teams were racing against time across western Colombia after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck on Monday, killing at least 132 people and leaving thousands missing.
The earthquake shook the cities of Cali, Quibdo, Pereira and dozens of other towns. About 1,600 buildings were reported damaged or collapsed. Soldiers, rescue workers and residents worked together, passing chunks of concrete by hand to search for survivors under the rubble.
Many families posted information about missing relatives on citizen-run websites; by Monday evening, more than 2,700 people had been reported missing. In the town of El Cairo, near the epicenter in San Jose del Palmar, local officials said 80% of the town, with a population of about 7,000, had been damaged. Many of its traditional homes made of wood and mud collapsed in the earthquake.
President Abelardo de la Espriella, facing his first major crisis since taking office on Friday, mobilized “the full military and police force,” sending engineers, rescue teams and search dogs to the hardest-hit areas. The United States pledged $15.5 million in emergency aid, while regional governments also offered support to one of Colombia’s poorest and most isolated regions.
