Colombian rescuers and volunteers worked against the clock to free survivors trapped in buildings and under rubble 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 over 180 people and leaving more than 1,670 others injured, said the Colombian Association of Capital Cities on Tuesday.
Of the total, the latest tally included 95 deaths and 997 injuries reported in the city of Cali, while Pereira reported 79 deaths and 278 injuries.
In Cali, which was among those hit hardest, search and rescue operations remain the most urgent priority in the wake of the disaster, as emergency crews continued to comb through the rubble for trapped survivors.
Despite the blazing midday sun Tuesday, rescue teams and volunteers worked tirelessly to locate survivors. Using drills, shovels, and other tools, they carefully broke apart large concrete debris, then formed human chains to pass rubble and debris out of the wreckage and loaded it onto trucks parked nearby.
To catch any faint signs of life from beneath the rubble, a rescue site crowded with hundreds of people fell into complete silence, again and again with rescuers calling out at timed intervals, shouting into the ruins through loudspeakers.
Rescuers said they can still hear faint sounds from beneath the debris. To them, any possible noise could mean a life waiting to be saved. Nearly 30 hours have passed since the earthquake struck, but no one has given up hope of finding survivors. Beyond the search for survivors, efforts to restore urban infrastructure, including electricity, are also underway. Some rural areas of Cali are still without power, and traffic lights on several roads remain nonfunctional.
Municipal workers are carrying out repairs at multiple sites, with priority given to restoring electricity to hospitals and other essential public facilities. The airport in Cali had previously experienced temporary operational disruptions due to power failures, though services have since been restored.
In a bid to enhance nighttime security, Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder announced via social media that a curfew would be imposed again from 21:00 Tuesday to 06:00 Wednesday to protect rescue workers, volunteers, and those still trapped beneath the debris. He also confirmed that the military will continue to be deployed in the hardest-hit areas to maintain order and safeguard residents' homes, businesses, and lives.
Rescuers scramble for earthquake survivors in Cali
