Colombia Earthquake: Rescuers Race Against Time as Death Toll Climbs Past 180

Colombia Earthquake: Rescuers Race Against Time as Death Toll Climbs Past 180

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake has devastated western Colombia, leaving more than 180 people dead, hundreds missing, and rescue teams working around the clock to pull survivors from the rubble. The quake, which struck on Monday morning, has hit the cities of Cali and Pereira hardest, where entire buildings have collapsed and thousands of families have been left without homes. As aftershocks continue to rattle the region, President Abelardo de la Espriella has declared a state of emergency, and the international community, including Brazil, has mobilized to offer support.

Bogotá, Colombia — The scale of the destruction is still unfolding, but the human cost is already staggering. With official figures placing the death toll at 181 and local officials suggesting the number could exceed 240, the focus remains on the desperate search for survivors trapped beneath concrete and steel.

The Quake: What Happened

The earthquake struck at 07:34 local time (12:34 GMT) on Monday, with its epicentre near the village of San José del Palmar in the province of Chocó. Seismometers nearest the epicentre registered shaking that lasted between 90 seconds and two minutes, a prolonged tremor that was felt across an enormous area stretching for hundreds of miles across western Colombia and into parts of neighbouring Ecuador and Panama.

According to Colombia's geological service, more than 70 aftershocks have occurred since the initial quake, with two magnitude 3.6 tremors recorded early on Tuesday in San José del Palmar and Santander. The quake has been described by Al Jazeera as the most powerful to hit the country this century, and its impact has been felt in major urban centres including Cali, Pereira, Manizales, and Quibdó.

The Toll: Cali, Pereira and Beyond

The human cost of the disaster is concentrated in Colombia's third most populous city, Cali, where 95 deaths have been confirmed, and in Pereira, a city in the coffee-growing region, where 79 people have died according to the city's fire department. Figures compiled by the Association of Colombian Capital Cities (Asocapitales) confirm these numbers, with Manizales reporting five deaths and dozens of buildings partially or totally collapsed.

President Espriella, giving an update from Pereira on Tuesday, reported that almost 2,600 people had been injured and nearly 200 remain missing. The destruction of homes has been immense, with more than 1,100 homes destroyed and over 8,000 damaged. In Cali alone, Mayor Alejandro Eder reported that 239 people remained trapped, with 949 injured and 45 buildings either completely or partially collapsed. Across the country, dozens of larger buildings have also collapsed, and around 1,600 buildings have been damaged, including at least 61 completely destroyed, according to France 24.

Race Against Time: The Rescue Effort

In Pereira, the rescue effort has taken on a deeply personal face with the story of Daniela Largo, a 32-year-old woman pulled alive from beneath a collapsed building after being trapped for 36 hours. Her rescue, which lasted ten hours, involved firefighters digging two tunnels to reach her — one from above to provide oxygen, and a second from below to free her from beneath four heavy concrete slabs.

Largo's mother told AFP that a local resident had heard her daughter cry out for help, and emergency workers located her using a small camera. The operation involved local firefighters, colleagues deployed from Bogotá, and the disaster response team of the national police force. President Espriella celebrated her rescue on social media, describing it as "news which fills us with hope." Her mother added that "at home, her 12-year-old son is waiting for her."

In Cali, a unified command post has been set up to coordinate the rescue effort, with 87 people rescued so far. Mayor Eder declared a night-time curfew from 20:00 local time until 06:00 on Wednesday morning, saying that soldiers would be on patrol in the worst-hit areas. "We need to ensure that the rescue work can be carried out safely," he said, adding that there was still hope of finding more people alive.

Children and Schools Hit Hard

The earthquake has struck at the heart of Colombian family life, with schools becoming sites of tragedy. In Calima, a neighbourhood in the north of Cali, four children died after a section of the Gimnasio Calima school collapsed. The mayor of the municipality, Antonio Cadavid, stated that other children ended up with serious injuries, with a total of 30 children referred to care centres.

Several of the upper floors of one of Cali's hospitals, some dedicated to paediatric care, also collapsed, leaving some patients trapped. The loss of these spaces — meant to be safe havens for children — has deepened the sense of shock and grief across the affected communities. In Pereira, footage from the city has shown the massive scale of the rescue effort, with hundreds of volunteers working to remove rubble and free trapped survivors.

Aftershocks and Fear

The ground has not yet settled. More than 100 aftershocks have been recorded since Monday's quake, according to Colombia's geological service, and further tremors were felt in Cali on Tuesday. This pattern of continued seismic activity has kept residents on edge, with many spending the night outdoors in cities like Pereira and Cali — either because their homes were destroyed or out of fear of further collapses.

Jorge Eduardo Rojas, mayor of Manizales, cautioned the public about the risk of misinformation, urging people not to share chain messages or social media posts from unknown sources, as they "may contain false or unverified information... which could cause greater concern and alarm among the public." In Pereira, the city has implemented a car-free day to allow the search to go ahead, with citizens urged to comply. A resident of the Parque Industrial neighbourhood, near the city's airport, told BBC Mundo: "It's impossible to get around the city center. In Bolívar Square, at least one building collapsed. Furthermore, there are structures where buses and trucks are trapped, and people are afraid those structures will collapse as well. We're all in shock. It was really awful."

Regional Solidarity and the International Response

In the face of this catastrophe, Colombia has not been left alone. Offers of help have come from across the region and the world, including from Ecuador, El Salvador, Venezuela, and Brazil. The Trump administration, which backed President Espriella in his successful election earlier this year, announced a donation of $15.5 million to Colombia. Spain's Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, reported that 164 Spaniards were still missing, though there were no reports of injuries or deaths of its citizens.

A statement from a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his "solidarity with the people and government of Colombia" and confirmed that the UN is working to support the government's response. For Brazil, this moment of solidarity is particularly meaningful. As a neighbour and partner in regional cooperation, Brazil's offer of help reflects the deep ties that bind Latin American nations together in times of crisis.

What This Means for Latin America

The earthquake in Colombia is a stark reminder of Latin America's vulnerability to natural disasters. In recent weeks, the region has faced floods in Chile, a volcanic eruption in Guatemala, and earthquakes in Venezuela. This pattern of seismic and climatic events underscores the urgent need for robust disaster preparedness and resilient infrastructure across Latin American cities.

For Brazil, the disaster in Colombia carries particular resonance. Our own cities face similar risks, and the lessons from Cali and Pereira — the importance of building codes, early warning systems, and coordinated emergency response — are directly applicable to urban centres across the region. The solidarity shown by Brazil and other neighbours is not just a gesture of friendship; it is a recognition that in Latin America, we share not only borders but also vulnerabilities and the responsibility to support one another.

As rescue efforts continue and the full scale of the tragedy becomes clearer, the focus remains on the survivors, the families waiting for news, and the hundreds of volunteers and emergency workers who are risking their own safety to save others. The road to recovery will be long, but the spirit of solidarity — from Pereira to São Paulo — offers a glimmer of hope in the midst of devastation.

This article was produced with AI-assisted research and editorial support. Sources: BBC News, Al Jazeera, France 24, AP.

By Elena Vasquez, Staff Writer