A 7.4-magnitude earthquake in western Colombia killed at least 254 people and injured more than 1,000, according to local authorities. Rescue teams are digging through massive heaps of concrete in a race to find survivors. Relatives wait next to building ruins searching for signs of life.
The quake struck early Monday morning in the heart of Colombia and was the strongest to hit the nation in decades. It caused severe damage or completely leveled apartment buildings, homes, schools, and health centers. Local officials recorded nearly 100 aftershocks by Tuesday morning.
Casualties and Rescue Operations
Regional reports indicated 101 people died in Pereira and 95 were killed in Cali, Colombia's third-largest city. Rescuers worked through the night using cranes, excavators, metal cutters, and their bare hands to remove buckets of debris and free trapped residents.
The United Nations humanitarian office OCHA estimated that 5,000 homes suffered damage in the earthquake. The agency also reported that dozens of buildings collapsed and hundreds of residences were destroyed.
