Rescue operations continued across western Colombia on Tuesday after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake devastated the country’s coffee-growing region, killing at least 224 people. Emergency crews, police, soldiers and volunteers worked through the night searching beneath collapsed buildings and homes, with authorities warning that the death toll could rise as rescue teams reach some of the hardest-hit areas.
The earthquake caused widespread destruction in cities including Cali, Pereira and Manizales, damaging residential buildings and infrastructure. In Cali, dozens of buildings were destroyed or left unstable, while part of a hospital collapsed, trapping some patients and forcing hundreds of others to receive care outside. Pereira, the capital of Risaralda, was also severely affected, with entire residential blocks reduced to rubble, while additional deaths were reported in Chocó near the earthquake’s epicentre.
Rescue workers continued racing against time to locate people trapped beneath debris as authorities deployed additional security personnel to affected communities. Curfews were imposed in Cali and Pereira following reports of looting, while Colombia’s government pledged to provide whatever assistance was necessary to support residents and emergency operations.
The disaster has drawn comparisons with the devastating 1999 earthquake that struck the same coffee-growing region and killed more than 1,000 people. With search-and-rescue operations continuing and people still reported missing, authorities have warned that the full scale of Monday’s earthquake may not yet be known.
