Rescue teams in Colombia intensified operations on Tuesday after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake killed at least 240 people and injured over 1,300 on Monday. The earthquake struck at 7:34 a.m., causing dozens of buildings to collapse across western cities.
Emergency workers, firefighters, military personnel, and volunteers worked through debris in Cali, Pereira, Manizales, and Quibdó. Rescuers used basic tools and formed human chains while families waited for news of relatives trapped beneath fallen structures.
In Cali, Mayor Alejandro Eder described the initial hours following the tremor as a nightmare and a very hard night. He said it was a moment of great pain and an unexpected trial, but expressed confidence that residents would overcome the disaster by working together.
Cali emergency personnel focused on extracting a woman named Diana Lucía from the remains of the Torres de Brisas del Limonar building in the Capri sector, according to RCN. Eder stated on social media that rescuers were very close to saving her, asking for prayers for all victims and declaring that emergency teams would not rest until everyone was reached.
Human chains among the rubble
In Pereira, one of the hardest-hit cities, volunteers searched for survivors in front of the main plaza. Juana Marín, a 25-year-old volunteer, told AFP that workers were attempting to clear rubble where local lottery vendors had gathered.
In Quibdó, the capital of Chocó, law student Wilmer Cuesta joined rescue efforts and described widespread panic during the earthquake. He said he saw residents running into the streets naked and jumping from their homes in desperation.
The International Red Cross reported that the epicenter was located near San José del Palmar in Chocó. Land access to the area has been severely hindered by extensive road damage.
Rescue crews periodically called for silence among the debris to listen for signs of life. Amid the destruction, emergency teams rescued a mother and her infant son, while a young girl emerged unhurt from another collapsed building.
Hospital rescue in Cali
One of the most complex operations took place at the Hospital Universitario del Valle in Cali, where seven people were found alive following a partial collapse of the facility. Search teams concentrated their efforts on the third and fourth floors, as well as a vault on the fifth floor.
Rodrigo Zamorano, risk management advisor for the Valle del Cauca Governorate, explained that governorate guidance came in real time from Governor Dilian Francisca Toro, according to El País. Zamorano said the priority was to clear areas with the highest number of trapped survivors.
Zamorano stated that rescuers could not use heavy machinery, sledgehammers, picks, or other high-impact tools because strong vibrations could trigger a secondary structural collapse. The operation involved the hospital emergency brigade, medical staff, National Army soldiers, Cali Firefighters, Civil Defense, and the Valle Red Cross.
Zamorano confirmed that all seven survivors are currently recovering, adding that expert intervention by emergency agencies successfully brought them to safety. The tragedy has revived memories of the 1999 earthquake in Colombia's coffee-growing region, which killed nearly 1,200 people.
