Colombia earthquake death toll surpasses 250
Photo: The earthquake was the most destructive to hit Colombia in a hundred years (Getty Images)
The death toll from the 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Colombia has risen to 254. The hardest-hit cities are Pereira and Cali, where rescue teams continue searching for survivors trapped under the rubble, according to Reuters.
Most destructive earthquake in a century
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck on Monday morning and was the most devastating to hit Colombia in the past hundred years. High-rise buildings, schools, and hospitals in the country's coffee-growing region were damaged. As of Tuesday morning, at least 254 fatalities had been confirmed: 101 in Pereira and 95 in Cali.
In the forested Chocó region near the epicenter, Indigenous communities remain without electricity and basic services, complicating rescue efforts.
Rescue amid the ruins
In Cali, rescuers pulled a woman alive from the rubble of the destroyed Torres del Limonar residential complex — the crowd erupted in applause. However, not everyone was as fortunate: according to the city's health secretary, Cali's morgue is already overflowing, and bodies continue to be retrieved from the streets.
Thousands left homeless
Collapsed buildings have left thousands of people homeless — families are waiting in the streets while specialists assess the structural safety.
The earthquake struck just days after the inauguration of new President Abelardo De La Espriella, who visited the affected regions and pledged support for those who lost their homes.
In the most remote parts of Chocó, residents complain they have yet to receive government aid — the region had already been suffering from attacks by armed groups. Due to communication difficulties, officials say it will take several days to determine the final death toll.
In the initial aftermath of this earthquake on August 10 — at that time, more than 100 people were dead, and the tremors were felt not only in Colombia but also in Bogotá, Venezuela, Panama, and Ecuador. Since then, the death toll has continued to rise.
This is not the first powerful earthquake to shake the planet this summer. In late July and early August, the strongest earthquake in 40 years, with a magnitude of 4.7, struck Italy, and slightly earlier, seismologists recorded one of the most powerful earthquakes in Japan's recorded history.
