BOGOTA, Colombia — At least 181 people have died across Colombia following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Monday, Aug. 10, according to official reports. Rescue teams continue to search for more than 3,900 missing people in the hardest-hit areas, particularly in the southwestern city of Cali.
Cali, the country's third most populous city with more than two million inhabitants, has reported at least 95 fatalities. Mayor Alejandro Éder said an estimated 25 people remained trapped under rubble as of Monday night, prompting a nighttime curfew to accelerate rescue operations.
The Torres del Limonar building in Cali's Capri neighborhood has become a focal point of the disaster. The four-story structure, which housed dozens of apartments, collapsed completely. Mattresses, furniture and personal belongings are visible among the concrete debris.
Efraín Gallego remains at the site, waiting for news of his 80-year-old brother and sister-in-law, who were inside Torres del Limonar when it fell. Gallego said hope returns each time an alert indicates a possible survivor.
Rescuers, military personnel, volunteers, paramedics and firefighters work under scorching heat. They periodically call for silence, shouting: "Silence! We are firefighters. If you can hear us, shout or make any noise." These moments offer brief hope for families like Gallego's.
Rescuer James Velasco said at least two people have been detected alive in the rubble, and teams are creating tunnels to reach them. One person requires help to free a leg. About 10 people have been pulled from the debris since the collapse, a rescuer at the site said.
Local radio station Blu Pacífico reported six survivors, including an infant, were rescued shortly before a reporter arrived. Officials cautioned that initial figures for both fatalities and survivors are often estimates in the immediate aftermath of such disasters.
The National Geological Service classified Monday's earthquake as the worst to strike Colombia this century. Beyond Cali, the quake caused destruction and fatalities in other regions, including Chocó in the country's northwest.
In Pereira, Jairo Vargas made a 220-kilometer drive from Medellín hoping to find his brother alive under a collapsed apartment building. He said the debris surrounding his brother was soft, possibly offering protection, but no sounds could be heard.
More than 50 buildings collapsed across Cali. Surrounding structures in the Capri neighborhood show cracks but largely escaped the fate of Torres del Limonar. More than 100 people, including humanitarian workers and journalists, are gathered at the collapse site waiting for news.
Many residents near the disaster areas are visibly shaken, some unwilling to speak. Others sleep exhausted on the ground or on makeshift seating in the street. Excavations and searches for survivors continue without pause.
