Colombia quake toll rises to about 290 as hopes fade

Hopes of finding more survivors in western Colombia were fading on Saturday (August 15), five days after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake killed about 290 people and left rescue teams searching for 140 others.

Nearly 4,000 people were injured, according to official estimates released late on Saturday. More than two-thirds of the deaths occurred in Cali and Pereira, two of the cities worst affected by the disaster.

The earthquake struck just after 7.30am on Monday in San Jose del Palmar. Apartment buildings collapsed, while schools, churches, hospitals and homes were damaged across a wide area stretching from the Pacific port of Buenaventura to Colombia’s coffee-growing region and other major western cities.

Cali fire captain Alberto Hernandez reported that rescuers had detected signs of life at only one search site. At other locations, crews had moved into the recovery of bodies.

Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder nevertheless pledged to continue the search beyond the critical first 72 hours, treating the roughly 70 people still missing in the city as though they remained alive.

“Miracles do happen,” he told a press conference.

Rescuers prepare to bring in heavy machinery

In Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city with more than two million residents, emergency workers continued searching through piles of broken concrete, bricks and twisted metal.

Residents were also clearing their neighbourhoods with brooms and shovels as authorities assessed the stability of damaged buildings.

Hernandez expected crews to complete most body-recovery operations by Sunday, after which heavy machinery would be brought in to remove the debris.

Several victims had become national symbols of the disaster as Colombians followed efforts to rescue those trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

Daniela Largo, 32, survived for 36 hours under the rubble but later died in hospital. Juan Felipe Giraldo, 24, was found dead after an extensive search at a collapsed hotel.

Giraldo’s father had waited beside the ruined building for news of his son, who had been due to marry on Sunday and leaves behind a two-year-old child.

Aftershocks leave hundreds sleeping outdoors

A disaster-management assessment found that thousands of homes were destroyed in Monday’s earthquake, leaving hundreds of people in temporary shelters or sleeping outside.

Many residents were still waiting for authorities to determine whether their damaged apartment buildings were safe to enter or at risk of further collapse.

In Pereira, hundreds spent the night on mats or in tents at a temporary shelter set up in a park. Organisers reported shortages of blankets, tents, hygiene supplies and food.

Thousands of people in Medellin and Bogota gathered to donate food, clothing and medicine for communities affected by the earthquake.

Authorities had recorded 269 aftershocks by Saturday, adding to the danger faced by rescue workers and volunteers operating among unstable ruins.

New president seeks temporary US tariff relief

The disaster has become the first major challenge for President Abelardo De La Espriella, a political newcomer who took office only a week before the earthquake and must now oversee relief and reconstruction after one of Colombia’s worst natural disasters.

De La Espriella faced criticism over the initial response, particularly the decision not to accept offers of rescue teams from some countries. Colombian authorities later received emergency personnel from Israel and the United States.

The right-wing president was elected on promises of tougher austerity and security policies. His victory has brought Colombia closer to Washington, which has raised the possibility of joint operations against armed groups in the country.

De La Espriella reported speaking to Trump for about 10 minutes on Saturday. Trump offered his condolences, while the Colombian president requested a temporary suspension of US tariffs on Colombian goods to help businesses recover from the disaster.

The US Commerce Department did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

De La Espriella later wrote on X that Colombia’s relationship with the United States was essential to the country’s reconstruction.