Rescuers scramble to find survivors from collapsed building after Colombia quake

Colombian rescuers and volunteers raced against time to clear rubble in search of survivors early Tuesday after a devastating earthquake struck the South American country's western region.

The 7.5-magnitude quake jolted cities across Colombia's western region at 07:34 local time on Monday, killing 132 people and leaving more than 570 others injured, the Colombian government said in its latest update.

According to a preliminary report, 32 cities across the country have been seriously affected, while five departmental capitals of Pereira, Cali, Quibdo, Manizales and Armenia remain under red alert.

China Global Television Network (CGTN) correspondent Michelle Begue reached Pereira, which was among those hit hardest, at midnight and found that volunteers probed for signs of life under a collapsed five-storey building.

"We're speaking to volunteers here and they're telling us that this building collapsed sideways. So there's a possibility that there could be life and they could help. They came from another building. This was a five-storey building. They came from a couple blocks away and they said that the building had collapsed completely one floor on the other. So it's impossible to get to people. And so they've moved here. They're volunteers from a business that operates these cranes," she said.

Although the cranes were moving the largest pieces of concrete, the volunteers helped clear the rubble by hand, hoping they could still find survivors after five people were rescued earlier half a block away.

"But there's another person trapped, plus a little girl and a young woman who are still alive," said a local resident.

"Right now, we're here helping out. I've been here since 09:00," said another resident.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said on Monday that the government had declared a state of national disaster to respond to the impact of the powerful earthquake.

The death toll is likely to rise, with more feared trapped under collapsed buildings.

Rescuers scramble to find survivors from collapsed building after Colombia quake

Chinese box-office hits are making waves overseas, with animated feature "All Wishes Come True" premiering in Australia and the sports comedy "Kung Fu Soccer" making its international debut in Malaysia on Monday to enthusiastic audiences.

In Sydney, Australia, the event site of the story inspired by the legend of the Eight Immortals was transformed into a mystical "Penglai Wonderland," with many moviegoers posing for photos alongside characters. The film is scheduled for a wide release across multiple Australian cities this Thursday.

"It's such a typical Chinese storytelling, really funny, really fast, full of action, but there's a moral story being told there, which slowly unravels. I love the movie," said David White, an Australian sound editor.

On the same day, another Chinese film, "Kung Fu Soccer", held its premiere in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Distributors said Chinese films have long enjoyed broad popularity in the southeast Asian country, and the strong box-office performance of the movie in China has raised their expectations for its Malaysian run.

The film will hit 138 cinemas across Malaysia starting this Thursday.

"Actually, I was kind of impressed with how Stephen Chow directed his movie before. We watched like since we were young, CJ7 and then Kung Fu Hustle. So this could be another trilogy of him. So that's why we wanted to see it and the comedy of the soccer as well inside it, it was really engaging for us. That's why I want to watch it," said a moviegoer.

"Like Kung Fu or Shaolin things, it's just unique to me, it's very cool to me," said another moviegoer.

In recent years, a number of outstanding Chinese films, including Ne Zha and Dear You, have gained notable acclaim in Malaysia following their releases. The growing overseas presence of Chinese audiovisual works continues to foster mutual understanding and has introduced a wider Malaysian audience to Chinese culture.

Chinese box-office hits light up screens in Australia, Malaysia